Broken
by fanficfanatic92
Summary: Finn and Rachel are siblings. Something horrible happened to Rachel two years ago and she's finally trying to move on. Will Finn's room mate be able to help her? Will she be able to find love in the process? What happens when an old ex makes a violent return?
1. Prologue

**Broken**

**Prologue**

**A/N: ******Here is the first story from one of my old profiles I will be bringing over here so I can finish it. The story was on my old laptop, which died, and I CANNOT remember the password ********I used for FFN, OR the password for the email account so I can reset the FFN password...Fun times. Moral of the story kiddos, always write down your passwords.******** Including this Prologue there are 25 chapters already written. In total, I am anticipating a total of 40-50 chapters, so it's halfway there. I'm planning on uploading two to three chapters a day. ****

Rachel sat in the car with her fathers, staring out the window. She had deiced to start college in New York with her brother. She had a tough couple of years and needed a break from everything. She watched the trees go by and closed her eyes pretending to sleep. She stroked the black fur of the dog her dads had let her adopt from the pound. She hoped that Finn wouldn't mind her having the dog around. It's not like Pixie would bother him anyways, just like Rachel, Pixie was afraid of men.

Rachel's dad, Henry, looked back at his daughter and sighed. She was 19 years old, but looked 5 years older, and not in a good way. These past two years were hard on her and it showed. Her once shiny, bouncy dark brown hair was now lackluster and hung limp around her face. The once vibrant smile she wore was now dull and faked. She couldn't care to look nice, choosing to just wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt every day. He hoped that the time with Finn, away from Lima, would be good for her, but he was also very worried. She was still skiddish around men, even him and his husband. None of them had told her about Finn's friend Puck who lived in the apartment, afraid that Rachel would change her mind. Finn said he told Puck enough that he wouldn't feel hurt if Rachel didn't warm up to him right away.

Rachel opened her eyes when her dad, Walter, stopped the car at a McDonalds. She looked out the window and sighed. She wasn't hungry, and they knew it. They wouldn't get her to eat. They'd been trying for two years and she would only eat one meal a day no matter what. "Honey, we're going to get food. We'll be right back out, okay?" Walter asked his daughter, worry in his eyes and voice. Rachel didn't say anything, just stared straight ahead and put in her headphones, blocking out the world. The words of Lifehouse blared through her iPod speakers. _I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out. I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing, with a broken heart that's still beating. In the pain, there is healing, in your name I find meaning. _Rachel did something she hadn't done since that night, she cried. She cried for her lost youth, for how she made her brother and her dad's feel. For how she exiled everybody she knew all because of one little event in her life.

Henry walked back to the car and saw his little girl crying. The sight nearly killed him. He hated her being so sad and didn't know how much more he could take. He felt selfish that he was glad she was staying with Finn for a little while. He didn't want to sound like a bad father, but he was looking forward to sleeping at night and not being worried about her nightmares and panic attacks.

**...***...***...*****

Finn paced around his apartment trying to get things ready for Rachel. His sister was coming to stay with him and he was freaking out. He hadn't seen her since he left for college two years ago right after she changed. He felt guilty that he was basically running away from his little sister and her problems, but he knew she wouldn't want the world to stop for her. They still emailed and wrote letters every week thought, and when she said she wanted to move in with him, he was ecstatic. He wasn't thinking when he agreed, but then he remembered one thing. His best friend and roommate Noah Puckerman; Puck was a ladies man to say the least. Finn had talked to him about his sister moving in and the fact that Puck couldn't talk to her like all the others, Rachel was different.

Now, Finn was making sure her room was all set, her bathroom was clean, there was food for her to eat, clean towels for her to use, an empty dresser for her clothes and it was driving Puck insane. "Dude, stop pacing, its driving me batty." Puck ground out at Finn.

"Sorry dude, I'm just a little on edge. I haven't seen my sister in forever and I want everything to be perfect for her. Just remember what I told you."

"Yeah yeah I know. Be careful around her. Don't look at her too long. Don't talk to her first. Don't touch her. Blah blah blah." Puck laughed before continuing. "Dude, I'm not gonna bang your sister. Don't worry." As soon as Puck said that they heard a car door slam outside and Finn went running down the steps to the car.

_Hello, hello I'm glad I found you. Been away a long long time. The sun will rise and the sun will set tomorrow. And it's been rough of this old heart of mine. _Finn couldn't help but think of the lyrics to California when he saw his sister. She smiled at him as she got out of the car. "Hey Rach." He said quietly so he wouldn't scare her.

"Hi Finn," she smiled at him even wider and then frowned when Pixie jumped out of the car behind her. "I hope you don't mind. Dad and Daddy let me adopt her. She won't be any trouble." She looked down and Finn couldn't stand to see her still looking so broken.

"Rachel, its fine. I don't care if you have a dog, okay?" Finn asked gently and Rachel nodded. "Now come on, let's get you moved in." He smiled at her.

"Sure. Thanks for letting me stay by the way."

"No problem. Anything for my sister."

Rachel smiled and nodded at him, starting to feel comfortable when she saw Puck. He wasn't as big as Finn, but he was more muscular. His Mohawk scared her a little and she tensed looking over his body. Puck smirked until he saw how uncomfortable she looked with him around. He thought Finn was kidding about her being jumpy around guys. "Hi, I'm Noah Puckerman. I'm Finn's roommate." Puck said as gently as he could and smiled kindly at her.

Rachel just waved a little and picked up Pixie walking in behind everyone. When Puck, Walter, Henry and Finn climbed in the elevator, Rachel walked past it and went to the stairs. She walked up the five flights and saw everyone else waiting for her. "Sorry," she said looking down and blushing a little.

"Its fine Rach, don't worry about it." Finn said smiling and opening the door to her new life.

**A/N: What do you think? It's just a prologue, I'll write more tomorrow. The songs I used were Broken By Lifehouse and California by Atherton.**


	2. Chapter One

**Broken**

**Chapter One- Ask Her if She Wants to Stay Awhile**

Puck couldn't help but feel scared around Rachel. It was obvious something bad had happened to her. Something _really_ bad. He wasn't scared because he thought she would hurt him. No, he was scared because he was afraid he would do something that would scare her and send her back home. It was plain as day to anyone how much Finn cared about his sister. The way he hovered around her all the time showed that.

Finn brought Rachel's stuff to her room as soon as their dad's left. Rachel walked in front of Finn even thought she had no idea where she was going. Puck noticed that she refused to stand in between the two of them. He didn't question it; he just figured it was one of those things he'd have to get to. Finn quickly set the big suitcase on Rachel's queen sized bed and then backed off, giving her space. "Umm, you have your own bathroom. You won't have to share with us, don't worry. Everything is on low shelves. Your windows lock and have bars on them…" Puck tuned out what Finn was telling Rachel and looked at her. He really looked at her.

Sure, she looked tired and worn out. Yes, her hair was limp and lacked life. Obviously she had aged a few years, and not in a good way. Underneath that though, was something he didn't think her brother or dads saw. _Hope._ He saw hope in her face as she looked around her room. He didn't know what she was hopeful about, but she was and it made him happy.

"…and if you need anything my room is right down the hall and so is Puck's." Puck came back down to earth as Finn finished his little speech. He smiled a little as his sister, and Finn thought he saw a little bit of fear in his eyes.

"Thank you Finn. I'm sure I'll be fine here." Rachel said very quietly, looking down and kicking at the floor a little. Finn nodded and walked out of the room, stepping around Puck. Puck looked down at his hand and saw he had one of her bags.

He sighed and slowly walked over to her. "Rachel," he said quietly and calmly, as not to scare her, "I have your other bag."

Rachel looked up and jumped when she saw how close he was. Puck mentally berated himself for being so careless and getting close to her like that. "Th-thank you." Rachel managed to say. She quickly took the bag from him and he backed out of her room as slowly as he had walked up to her.

…*****…*****

Rachel sank down onto her bed and put her head in her hands. If she had known another guy would be living here, she wouldn't have come. She knew why Finn didn't tell her. He missed her and wanted her to get better, not hide out forever at their dads' house. Still, she couldn't help but be _mad_ at her brother for doing that to her. The least Finn could have done was tell her when he knew she was in the car to New York and Walter wouldn't turn the car around, but _no_, he had to surprise her and let her be scared the first night she was staying in a new room and a new city without her dads anywhere to be found. Rachel locked her door and laid down on her bed, listening to her iPod. _But now, here we are, so whataya want from me, whataya want from me?_ _Just don't give up, I'm working it out. Please don't give in, I won't let you down. It messed me up; I need a second to breathe. Just keep coming around, so whataya want from me?_ Rachel fell asleep to the sounds of Adam Lambert blaring through her speakers, right to her brain. The song fit her and Finn perfectly. No matter what, he loved her. He stayed with her. He saved her. He was her big brother and would do anything to protect her. Everything that had happened to her made her push him away, and he didn't care. He stayed with her the whole time. All the sleepless nights, he held her hand. She had to get better for him. She couldn't let him down. She had to get better for her brother.

As she slept, she dreamed, well more like had a nightmare. About that night, and what happened. She didn't remember all of it, but she remembered enough.

**Flashback/dream begins**

**_It was wet, raining, and cold. She was walking by herself down the streets of Lima at night. She didn't think anything of it. It was _****Lima****_ for crying out loud. It's not like bad things happened there. She was about five minutes from her house when she noticed footsteps behind her, getting closer and faster…_**

**Flashback/dream ends**

Rachel sat up, screaming and shaking. She couldn't make sense of the noise outside her door; she was still so out of it. All she knew was that someone was pounding on her door. She put her hands over her ears, and with tears streaming down her face, yelled at the person on the other side, "Go away! Leave me alone! Stop!"

"Rachel, it's me. It's just Finn. Open up, please?"

Rachel blinked a couple of times and slowly walked over to the door, opening it to reveal a scared looking Finn and a concerned looking Puck. Rachel looked down when she saw their faces. "I'm sorry. Please don't make me leave." She sniffled.

"Berry, it's gonna take more than tears for us to kick you out. You're stuck with us now." Puck smirked at her and he saw a hint of a smile.

"Okay. Do you guys have any food, I'm hungry." Rachel carefully walked past them and into the kitchen ignoring the reason for her freak out.

…*****…*****

Puck and Finn were in the living room, minding their own business and playing COD, drinking beers. Puck was totally kicking Finns ass too, which was great. Even though Puck was totally into the game, he couldn't help but think about Rachel. _I don't mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile; ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved, she will be loved. Tap on my window, knock on my door. I want to make you feel beautiful. _He knew it sounded so not badass, but he didn't care. There was something different about her. He wanted to make her really smile. He wanted to make her feel good about herself again. He wanted to kill everyone who had ever hurt her. It was just then that he and Finn heard her screams and they ran to her door.

**A/n: The songs I used were Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert, She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 and the basis of the first half (Rachel) was based off of When Your Heart Stops Beating by +44 aka Blink-182. **


	3. Chapter Two

**Broken**

**Chapter Two- So Alone, So Alive**

**A/N: A few things I need to clear up. This is how this story is going down. This is very A/U and very OOC. Finn is dating Quinn, both went to McKinley, Quinn knows Rachel and vice versa, Quinn has always been there for Rachel and has helped her, been the female in her life that she needed. Puck has an on-off relationship with Santana, neither went to McKinley and don't know Rachel except from what Finn has told Puck. **

**Okay, as we go, the other characters are pretty straight forward. **

"Rachel, it's me. It's just Finn. Open up." Finn shifted nervously waiting for Rachel to open the door. Puck huffed and started to turn around, "Hey, stay, I can't stand seeing her cry. You know it's the one reason I moved so far away, it kills me to see her so broken and not be able to fix her." Puck nodded slowly, turning back towards the door.

The door finally swung open, revealing a shaken Rachel, "I'm sorry. Please don't make me leave." She hung her head low, sniffling a few times.

Puck watched Finn's back tense with the threat of his sister crying. "Berry, it's gonna take more than tears for us to kick you out. You're stuck with us now." Puck forced a smirk, and in satisfaction, watched a hint of a smile from Rachel.

"Okay. Do you guys have any food, I'm hungry." Finn watched Rachel walk into the kitchen, ignoring what just happened. Shaking his head, he followed her in.

Puck hung back, hoping to give the two of them much needed brother and sister time. From the living room though, Puck could see that the kitchen was in silence, tension running high. With a shake of his head, Puck walked into the kitchen, thinking he could break the tension.

Finn noticed Puck standing in the door way, but looking out the corner of his eye, he watched his sister tense, dropping the butter knife to the floor. "Damn it Rachel! It's just Puck! I wouldn't put you in a dangerous situation! It's been two fucking years! You never talk to me! Just talk me damn it!" Finn seethed, the two years worth of stress and anger finally taking over.

Puck watched a tear slide down Rachel's cheek. Rachel nervously glanced at the only way out, Puck nodded to her in understanding, slowly moving out of the way. Rachel took the opportunity to run straight to her room, slamming the door.

"Damn it!" Finn muttered.

"Have you ever thought your part of the problem?" Puck asked. Not trying to be mean, but honestly wanting to know if Finn knew his actions where only hurting her. He had left her soon after the incident.

"Fuck you." Finn stormed past his friend and into his own room, slamming his door too. Pulling out his cell phone, dialing the one person he knew would understand him.

"Hey baby." The voice soothed the anger he was feeling.

"Rachel's back and she's not any better. I need help."

Finn sounded hopeless and desperate, even to his own ears. "Oh baby, you should have told me. I would have come by to see her. What happened? Wait, isn't Puck still living with you?" Quinn questioned Finn's long time girlfriend and best friend to his sister.

Finn let out a long breath. "Yeah the man whore is still here. I'm calling you because I kinda just yelled at her…"

"You what? Finn! She's sensitive! You can't just yell at her when you feel like it! Now, really, what happened?" Quinn was pissed at the fact that her boyfriend could be so stupid.

"I don't know, she was screaming, so Puck and I went to check on her and she sort of ignored the situation and moved on like it was nothing. But as soon as Puck entered the kitchen she got all tense like he was gonna attack her or some shit…"

Quinn interrupted, "Have you ever thought to tell her how you feel? Have you ever thought of that there was only one way out of that kitchen and Puck was standing there? Did you think she felt like maybe you _guys_ were closing in on her and she wouldn't make it out? Did you at all _think_ of what trauma she's been through?" Quinn rattled off questions, which only made Finn feel like a shitty brother. Quinn found it difficult not to just explain what actually happened, since Rachel only ever opened up to her.

"No…I guess I didn't. Can you just come over and see her? Maybe talk to her? Maybe she'll feel better knowing you're here. You know?"

Quinn sighed, her boyfriend sounded so lost, she felt so bad. "Of course baby, I'll be over tomorrow night, I'll bring dinner."

"Thanks, I love you."

"I love you too. See you tomorrow." With a quick good bye Finn hung up with Quinn, and laid down on his bed.

…*****…*****

Puck watched Finn slam his door. He honestly didn't know what had gotten into Finn. He had hardly ever mentioned Rachel until he told Puck she was moving in with them. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he looked down at Pixie. "I only wanted a fucking apple, so kill me!" Pixie wagging her tail, growled, jumping on his legs looking for attention. "Yes, Grrr." He patted the dogs head playfully. He grabbed his apple and a bottle of water, shutting the TV off on his way to his room. Pixie sat outside Rachel's door, scratching to get in. "What? You want in?" He picked the small dog up and knocked on Rachel's door. She slowly opened it, looking up at Puck, with what looked like shock. "Umm, Pixie wanted you." _What I'm doing in this city. The sun is always in my eyes, it crashes through the windows and I'm sleeping on the couch. When I came to visit you, that's when I knew I could never have you, I knew that before you did. _Puck caught the lyrics of a song as she snatched the dog from his arms and slammed her door in his face. "Well then… you're welcome…"

He stalked back to his room, closing his door. The thought filtered through his mind to slam his door just because everyone else did, but decided that was a little childish. He grabbed his iPod, Intro to Music Theory book and a high lighter. Turning on his iPod, the lyrics that filtered through shocked him, dropping his high lighter, he allowed himself to get lost in the music. _That's when I knew I could never have you, I knew that before you did. Still I'm the one who's stupid and there's this burning like there's always been. I never been so alone and I've never been so alive._

**A/N: Song ****is****_Motorcycle Drive By_**** and some other Third Eye Blind songs. I don't own any of it! However I do own a guitar pick from Cobra Starship! :)) **


	4. Chapter Three

**Broken**  
**Chapter Three- I'll show you what I can be**  
**A/N: This chapter was probably one of my FAVORITE chapters to write in this story. There's a couple other ones that I love, but I still remember putting so much thought and planning into this one. Also, I did have a Guest review asking why this is under the Finchel tag...and I double-checked; it's not. It's under the Puck/Rachel tag with Finn as another character. **

Rachel watched as Puck slowly nodded, taking a tentative step out of her way, letting her know it was okay to pass. Rachel took that opportunity to run. She slammed her door, turned her music up and threw herself on her bed, allowing the tears to flow freely. As her mind cleared from the panic induced haze, she realized maybe her actions and reactions were a little irrational. She started to stand to go out and apologize to the two boys who were only being kind and patient with her; but the sound of another door slamming made her sit back down on the bed. Over the music she heard a soft knock on her door, expecting Finn to be on the other side She pulled open the door, only to see her Pixie in Puck's arms. "Umm, Pixie wanted you." She snatched her dog out of the man's arms before slamming her door shut again. Still clutching a happy Pixie to her chest, she slowly slid down the closed door.

Rachel was completely confused. Pixie never let anyone but Rachel hold her, not even her father's could interact with the timid dog. Rachel is the one who held the dog, took her for walks, fed her, played with her, the dog slept only in Rachel's presence. How could Pixie allow Puck to just pick her up? Rachel couldn't wrap her mind around the simple fact that Pixie _trusts_ Puck. But why? Rachel couldn't put the pieces together.

She held Pixie until the small dog squirmed to get out of her grasp and by that point the only thing Rachel could do was crawl into bed and worry about it tomorrow.

**…***…*****  
Finn grabbed an apple and his coffee heading towards the door. He had an eight o'clock class to get to; he was running late and didn't have the time to chat. "I'm leaving Puck, I'll catch you later." He walked out the door without any thought.

Puck sat on the couch, playing COD, waiting for the guys to show up. It was a tradition for them, it was their day off. Sitting around playing video games, eating junk food, that sounded so much better than worrying about homework.

His phone alerted him of a new text, which meant they were here. Puck jumped to get the door and Artie, Sam, Mike, Matt and Dave stood with chips and beer. Puck let them in, heading straight for the TV, they settled in for the day's worth of games.

"So, boys, what are we starting with first?"

Artie, being the nerd he is-bless his soul-and proud of it, spoke first, "Who's up for some old school? Mortal Combat?" With the nods of approval the games began. Artie played against Matt first and after being deemed the winner, Matt chose who was to play against Artie next.

"Uh, Dave's up." When there was no response, everyone looked around the room.

"I think he went to the bathroom." Mike spoke up. "We can just wait. Not a big deal."

With the room quiet, the faint sounds of scratching at the door were heard. "Dude, when did you guys get a dog?" Sam asked Puck.

Absentmindedly, Puck answered, "The other day." The other guys exchanged confused glances.

At the same time Puck said that, the sound of two doors opening at the same time could be heard in the quiet.

…*****…****  
Rachel opened her door to bring Pixie out, she needed to be fed and then brought to a puppy pad on the balcony to do her business. She stepped and started to head for the leaving room when a low, deep voice caught her attention. "Well who are you?"

Rachel whipped around, panic flooding her senses. The man stood tall, with broad shoulders, curly hair, but cold blue eyes. His stance alone showed confidence and power. Rachel tensed under his scrutinizing glare, she turned to run but he blocked to her door. Her survival instincts kicked in as she looked for another means of escape and saw the path to the living room was now open. But he was faster and was able to block her from running. "You know Puck doesn't usually keep his whores overnight." His voice was quiet but threatening…

**...***…*****  
Back in the living room Pixie ran to Puck's feet, growling and barking for his attention. "Yes, grr, fucking grr, foods over there. Go, shoo." The dog jumped into Puck's lap, barking louder. "What do you want?" Puck patted the dogs head, thinking it wanted attention. "Yes I see you pretty puppy, now go." Heads turned in confusion, all with simultaneous, "What the fuck?"

…*****…*****  
Rachel couldn't find her voice, she wanted to scream and run. She knew the path to her door was now unblocked, and she made a quick decision to move. It seemed like this guy was a step ahead of her. He grabbed Rachel's wrist, yanking her back to him, flooding her mind with memories of strong hands. Ones that held her against her will; she felt the tears coming to her eyes, with a small whimper, Dave loosened his grip. "What, you don't like being called a whore? Well, isn't it what you are?"A loud sob broke through, the pain of her memories cutting her deep.

**_Flashback_**  
_"You're nothing but a dirty whore. No one will ever want you." A deep voice cut through the still, dark night. The strong man held both of her wrists tightly in one hand, pinning her to the cold ground. "Whores don't get second chances…"_  
**_Flashback Ends_**

At the sound of a sob, Puck jumped from his spot on the couch, Pixie still in his arms. "Shit!" He handed the dog off to Artie and ran towards the sound. When he reached the hall he saw Dave towering over Rachel, her wrist in his hand.

"…the house whore maybe?"

At Rachel's whimper, Puck spoke, "Let her go." Even though it was through clenched teeth, he knew Dave understood. He dropped Rachel's hand and took a step back, eyes wide.  
Rachel automatically ran to Puck, hiding herself behind him. Puck instinctively wrapped an arm around her. _Finally when my worst nightmare is coming true, someone is here to save me…_  
"You need to leave Dave."

Confusion swept across Dave's face. "Who is she? What's going on?"

"Just leave, before I force you to." At the threat Dave nodded and moved towards them, and Puck felt how Rachel tensed. Puck moved them against the wall, keeping eye contact with Dave the entire time. As soon as he was out of the hallway, Puck turned to face Rachel. "You okay?" Rachel clung to him, burying her face in his chest, tears soaking his shirt. "I'll take that as a no…" He slowly brought his arms up to wrap around her shoulders, trying to offer her some form of comfort. "Shh, he's gone you're okay."

"What's going on?" A concerned Sam asked from the hall entrance, only after hearing Dave mutter something about Puck choosing a girl over his friends and walking out of the apartment. "Dave just stormed out all pissed off. I feel bad for the next person he talks to." Sam chuckled a little bit.

Puck turned his head towards the voice and saw his friends standing there. The sound of more guys brought Rachel who had been clinging to Puck, on the ground curled into a ball whimpering. "Not now, please just leave." Puck looked at Rachel worried and bent down to pick her up.

Matt was dumbfounded, never before seeing a girl besides Quinn in the apartment. "Who is she?"

"Not now Matt. I'll call you guys later." He rocked Rachel, willing her to stop crying.

"Ah, I don't think this dog likes me…" Artie whispered, Pixie growling at the other guys. Sam went to pick up the small dog, Pixie nipping at the strange man. When Sam moved away, hands up in defense, Pixie jumped down from Arties lap and went to Puck's feet.

"We'll just show ourselves out…" Mike suggested, nodding towards the door.

"Good idea," Was all Puck said before returning his attention back to Rachel. Once he knew the guys were gone, he set her back on her feet, crushing her against his chest. He rubbed slow circles on her back, trying to calm her down.

After a few minutes, she started to show signs of calming down so he slowly started to unwrap his arms to pull out his cell. He hoped he could get a hold of Quinn, she would know what to do. Unfortunately it was the wrong move, Rachel cried a little harder, pulling herself closer. Puck shook his head, "Can we move to the couch? Everyone's gone now." Rachel slowly nodded.  
When they were seated in the leaving room, Rachel curled up on Puck's lap; he continued to rub the circles across her back. Puck didn't know what happened in that hallway, he didn't care; Dave's actions spoke loud and clear. As far as he was concerned, Dave would never be allowed back in the apartment. And once Finn found out about Rachel, Dave would be dead.

Guilt washed over Puck, he should have remembered Rachel being in the apartment. He knew she would have freaked when she saw all the guys, but if he had remembered he could have called it off or at least talked to Rachel about it. The girl just moved in with them and already Finn has yelled at her for no reason and she had been manhandled by Dave. _But would Rachel have freaked, knowing she was alone with me? _Was what Puck found himself really thinking. Sure, she kind of knew him, but he was still a stranger to her when it was the end of the day. Puck liked to think Rachel would have been okay with him there.

He felt bad for the broken girl that sat in his lap, none of them could really understand what she went through. He wanted to help her but he knew that this might have been his only chance to do so, especially now since she lay asleep in his arms. He was afraid that tomorrow, or whenever she woke up and let him go, that she would blame him for what happened and close herself off from everyone.

Puck felt his own eyes grow heavy; reaching around him, he grabbed the large blanket, bringing it around them, but mainly focusing on making sure Rachel would be warm. Once it settled, Rachel sighed and snuggled deeper under the covers. As Puck drifted off to sleep, on thought ran through his mind, _I have to help save her._

**…***…*****

Finn was coming home on his lunch break, which wasn't something he normally did but he wanted to check on Rachel. _Fuck, Rach!_ He berated himself realizing she was left alone with Puck and the guys all day. Don't get him wrong, he loved his friends. They were great guys who wouldn't hurt a fly. But they were also _guys_ who knew Puck and Finn. When they saw Rachel, the only thing they would see was one of Puck's one night stands that was allowed to stay the night.

At the thought of his sister being scared, he ran faster to get to the apartment. He ran up all the stairs and just about tore the door off the hinges from the force he used to open it. He stood in the doorway, looking for any sign of Puck or a distressed Rachel. His eyes landed on the couch where he saw Puck and some brunette on the couch. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the girl was Rachel. "What the fuck?" Finn yelled, waking both of them up.

Rachel looked at Puck and blushed a little before looking at Finn and shrinking back against Puck when she saw how angry her brother was, thinking the anger was directed at her.  
In reality, Finn was pissed that Puck could help Rachel and he couldn't. Puck sighed and responded to Finn's demand. "Dave happened dude."  
**A/N: Well, is it good? I hope so. I put a lot of thought into this chapter. Let me state right now that Dave is NOT the one who attacked her. He did not live in Lima, has never been there, does not know Rachel, okay?**


	5. Chapter Four

**Broken**

**Chapter Four- Hey will you stay awhile **

"What the fuck?" Finn yelled, waking both of them up.

Rachel looked at Puck and blushed a little before looking at Finn and shrinking back against Puck when she saw how angry her brother was, thinking the anger was directed at her. In reality, Finn was pissed that Puck could help Rachel and he couldn't. Puck sighed and responded to Finn's demand. "Dave happened dude."

At Dave's name, Finn felt like an ass for yelling and an even bigger one for jumping to conclusions on Puck, when in reality he was only protecting Rachel. "What happened?" Finn's voice dropped to a whisper as he moved to sit on the opposite end of the couch.

Finn watched Puck shift slightly, keeping Rachel in his lap. The jealousy boiled under the surface, Rachel never let anyone willingly hold her. Not even Quinn. "Rachel was coming out of her room while Dave was coming out of the bathroom. I don't really know. When I got to her, Dave was holding her wrist, and calling her names. Dave left soon after."

Finn nodded. "Are you okay Rachel?" Concern laced Finn's voice.

Rachel shrugged, "I'm fine. Just my wrist is a little sore."

Puck eyed Rachel, "Let me see your wrist." Rachel unburied her hand from the blanket that was wrapped around her. When it came into view, Puck gently took it her wrist, Rachel hissing in pain. A large bruise circled her small wrist. "Son of a bitch."

At that Finn popped up and crossed the room. "What?" Finn followed Puck's gaze to his baby sister's wrist, seeing the bruise for himself. "I'm gonna kill him," Finn growled out.

Rachel shrank even further into Puck's chest hearing how angry her brother was. In the back of her mind somewhere, she knew Finn wouldn't hurt her, but right now that sensible part of her brain wasn't exactly working. She tightened her grip on Puck, hoping he wouldn't disappear on her.

Finn paced the room. How could a friend do this to her? Didn't he see the fear in her eyes when he gripped her wrist? Or just how tight he was holding her? Not being able to hold anything else in, Finn pulled out his phone, dialing Dave's number.

Puck could see that this was going to get dirty. Dave was about to get his ass handed to him, and as much as he wanted to stick around, he could sense Rachel's growing fear. Keeping a grip on her, he stood, walking off towards her bedroom, Pixie not too far behind. "I'm going to bring you to your room, okay?" Rachel nodded against Puck's chest.

Finn eyed Puck oddly but knew once again Puck was only protecting her.

**…***...*****

Puck carried Rachel all the way to her room, he laid her down on her bed but she kept her vice like grip on him. "Rachel? Let me get you something to eat, I'll be back in a minute?" Rachel slowly nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She knew that there was a possibility that he wasn't coming back. She would be by herself again, no one to save her. She watches him walk away before allowing sobs to come through.

Puck followed through, going to the kitchen to get her a sandwich and a bottle of water. Finn was yelling at Dave, threats falling every few minutes. Puck smirked, Dave deserved it.

When he walked back into the room, Rachel was in a ball, crying. "Rachel, what's wrong?" Puck rushed over to her, leaving the sandwich and water on her night stand.

"...You...left..." She sobbed out.

Puck blinked a few times, "I'm here now. Here, let's eat something." Rachel slowly sat up, taking the plate Puck offered. Taking a small bite then putting it back. "You best eat more than that." Rachel eyed him before taking a few larger bites. Once Puck got her to her eat at least three quarters of it, he finally let her hand him back the plate. "Better, I suppose, we'll work on it." He smirked before turning to head to the door, plate in hand.

"Noah?" Puck turned at hearing his first name. He raised an eyebrow at her, "Please...stay, just until I fall sleep?"

Puck took a deep breath, but nodded and walked toward the bed. "Sure." Puck lay next to her, Rachel curling up next to him. He was pretty sure he heard Rachel mumble out a 'thank you' but he wasn't sure. He stayed until he heard Finn call his name, then he carefully slipped from the bed. Pixie looked up at him, whimpering quietly. "Shh, I'll be back if you two need me." Pixie let out a growl, not believing he would. "Fucking grr to you too. Now shh, I'll be back." Pixie let out another growl but curled back up.

**…***...*****

Finn waited impatiently for Dave to answer his phone. "Hello?" Dave finally answered, sounding like he just woke up.

"What the hell Karofsky? Who do you think you are? You come into my house and start messing with someone you don't even know! Do you know who she is?" Finn seethed, Dave didn't answer, he was stunned at the anger in Finn's voice. "Answer me! Do you know?"

"...No, I figured she was one of Puck's over night whor..."

Dave was cut off by a growl that came from Finn. "She's my fucking _sister_! You left a bruise on my fucking _sister_! I could charge you with assault! Do you know how much she's been through? She came here for a fresh start and what does she get greeted by, _you_! Assaulting. Her!" Finn bit off each word. "How about the damage you left Puck to deal with? Do you know she cried herself to sleep?"

Dave sighed, he really didn't mean to cause this much damage. "Dude, I'm sorr..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! I don't want your apology! You owe _Rachel_ an apology, but I'm not your damn mother! But, don't bother! As long as Rachel's here, I don't want you here! Puck doesn't want you here, and I'll be damned if you even think Rachel wants you wants you here!" Finn's breath came in short pants, he has never remembering being this mad before, but other than that night two years ago, no one had put their hands on Rachel.

"Look, dude, just listen. I'm sorry I did that, I honestly didn't know she was your sister. I can see now how protective of you and Puck are with her. I don't know what she went through but it all makes sense now, I'm sorry. Tell Puck I'm sorry too, I didn't realize it would be that bad... I'm just sorry, I won't come around until you tell me to." Dave sighed, he didn't _want_ to lose a friend but hee understood. If that was his sister, he would be pissed at him.

Finn scoffed, "Sounds good to me!" Finn hung up before Dave could say another word. He threw his phone into the couch, he didn't want to break it, but he was really frustrated. "Puck?" Finn needed to make sure Rachel was okay.

Puck cleared his throat. "You okay man?"

Finn turned around to see his best friend standing in the doorway of the hallway. A look of concern written across his face. "No, but I let most of my anger out on Karofsky." Finn took a deep breath, "How's Rachel?"

Puck laughed, "Good, he deserved it." Puck looked down to the ground, his voice growing serious. "She's asleep, but I did get her to eat a sandwich and drink some water before she dosed off again." He looked back up at Finn. "Dude, what happened to her? I've never seen someone so broken before."

Finn shook his head. "It's a long story and I really don't have patience to tell you, I'm sorry. Someday I will, just not now. Umm, thanks for protecting my baby sister when I couldn't." Finn shook his head, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I want my fun, loving, a little crazy sister back. I miss her." Finn plopped down on the couch, his head in his hands. "All because of that damn mother fucker two years ago! He hurt her, he took her away from us! It's not fair..." Finn's shoulder's shook with quiet sobs.

"I'm sorry man. Maybe one day..."

Finn's head shut up, glaring at Puck, "It's been two fucking years! If she was going to come back, we would have seen some kind of progress by now!"

Puck raised his hand, trying to show he meant no harm, "All I'm saying is maybe she needed new people, a new place. A fresh start."

Finn's eyebrows knitted in confusion, but Puck had a point. "Maybe." Finn muttered. "I'm calling out for the rest of the day. And I'm cancelling with Quinn. I don't want anyone here tonight. Rachel doesn't need anyone else here. And let her sleep for as long as she can." Puck nodded and watched Finn go into the kitchen, making the necessary phone calls.

…*****...*****

Puck and Finn sat on the couch watching the sports center. Hours had passed since the 'event' as the boys called it. Finn had argued shortly with Quinn. She still wanted to come over but Finn had convinced her it would have been too much.

Puck broke the long silence first, "What are we doing for dinner?"

Finn's eyes never left the TV as he answered Puck, "I don't know, it's your night to cook." With a heavy sigh, Puck stood from the couch and went to the kitchen. Finn couldn't stop himself from thinking what ifs. He wondered what would have happened if the guys had stopped by for a place to hang in between classes, Puck wouldn't have been here, Rachel would have been by herself. He knew after that thought passed he would check with Puck's schedule to see if he could be here when Finn couldn't. And if neither could be here, Quinn could be. All Finn knew was Rachel couldn't be left alone.

Finn saw Pixie run from the hallway and into the kitchen, barking and growling at Puck. "What do you want now?" Finn heard Pixie growl before barking loudly. "Don't fucking growl at me if you want to eat." Finn laughed, but heard Puck scoop the dog food into the metal food dish. Finn laughed even harder when Pixie growled and barked again. "Fucking grr to you too! Now you want water? Are you ever satisfied dog?" Pixie growled, "Oh I'm sorry, _Pixie_. Here." Finn couldn't believe Puck was talking to the dog, literally having a conversation with her.

"Finn?" Finn's head snapped up at the sound of his name. "I'm sorry." Rachel slowly walked over to Finn. "I've never been a good sister, I only cause problems. If you and Noah would like to kick me out now, I'll pack my bags."

"Rachel..." Finn tried to tell her it wasn't her fault but he was cut off by the dog whisperer.

"Berry, you're not leaving. It wasn't your fucking fault. Get it through your head now, cause I don't feel like saying it again." Puck shouted from the kitchen.

Finn shook his head. "Yeah, Rach, it wasn't your fault. I talked to Dave already, he won't be around again. You're not leaving, you don't cause problems, idiots like Dave cause problems." He watched Rachel walk over to him. Finn's mind raced, Rachel hadn't hugged him or showed affection to him since before her incident. Finn stayed still and let Rachel pace herself. In the end, Rachel finally wrapped her arms around Finn, giving him the first hug in a long time.

Finn melted, Rachel was hugging him and he couldn't be happier. "Thank you big brother, I love you." Finn's heart just about stopped.

"I love you too, Rach." Finn rubbed his sister's back in a soothing gesture, soaking up the attention. He knew this side of Rachel could be gone in a second if one wrong thing happened.

After a few minutes, Rachel pulled away, forcing a tight smile to her lips. "Dinner's ready." Puck called from the kitchen. Finn and Rachel made their way to the kitchen. Rachel quickly sat in the seat by the entrance, her back tense. She wasn't thrilled being in a confined space with both guys.

Dinner was going smoothly until the door opened. Finn glanced at Puck, he was starting to freak out, no one was supposed to come over. Finn and Puck watched Rachel's eyes widen in fear, as her body tensed even more than what it already was.

"Puck? Where are you?" Rachel glanced at Puck and then the door way, Pixie was growling at Rachel's feet. "Mmm, did you cook dinner tonight? I knew...who the hell is this?"


	6. Chapter Five

**Broken**

**Chapter 5-This Pain is Just Too Real **

Standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and blocking Rachel's exit was one very irate Santana. "What the hell _Puckerman?_ You told me you were busy with school work tonight. And here you are, having a nice dinner with Finn and some random big-nosed freak? What the fuck?" Santana glared at Rachel, and she shrunk back in her seat. "Who the fuck are _you?"_

Rachel looked at Finn and then Puck, trying to hold back her tears. She was trapped. She couldn't get out. Finn and Puck set her up. They let her sit by the door, they knew this crazy person was coming here. They hated her and wanted to scare her into leaving. "Umm...I'm Rachel." Rachel muttered, hoping to avoid any violence.

"And you're here, eating _my _dinner, why? Just felt like it?" Santana scoffed, not seeing the anger filling both Finn and Puck's eyes. "I mean, I heard from Dave that Puck had some new whore, but I didn't think she'd be such a _freak._ You really outdid yourself this time Puckerman."

Rachel couldn't handle anymore. She started crying violently. She didn't understand what she did to anyone. She didn't sleep around, she didn't hurt people. Why do people keep hurting her? She stood up and pushed past Santana and into her room, slamming the door. She turned on her iPod and blasted My Immortal, the sound of Amy Lee's haunting voice calming her. _Your face it haunts, my once pleasant dreams. Your voice, it's chased away, all the sanity in me. These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase. I try to tell myself that you're gone..._ Rachel made up her mind that she wasn't helping herself or them by staying there. She obviously messed things up with Puck and his girlfriend and Finn and Puck both lost a friend because of her. She started packing her bags, ignoring Pixie scratching at the door and the yelling Puck was doing in the kitchen.

Finn walked into her room and saw her packing a bad. "Rachel, please? Don't go, you can't. I just got my little sister back." Finn knew he was on edge of a break down. If Rachel were to leave, their father's would never forgive him. He's supposed to be protecting her, not letting her go off on her own in New York City. "Rachel, god, please? Stay."

Rachel sighed, "No, I'm screwing up your life worse than dad and daddy's. I just need to leave. I made both of you lose a friend, now Noah is fighting with his girlfriend. I just need to leave." Tears started to fall down Rachel's face, she couldn't keep messing up her family's life. She couldn't move on, she was only setting them back. There was an easy solution, leave. "I'm...sorry Finn...I just..." Rachel sobbed, picking up her bag, she flew from the room. Hearing Puck still fighting with his girlfriend, Rachel let out a sob, sounding more like a whimper. She opened the door to the apartment, running down the hall, running from her problems. Tears blurred her vision most of the way down.

Finn ran to the door right before it slammened shut. He pulled out his phone, calling Quinn. He needed her to find Rachel and bring her back.

**…***...*****

"Leave, now." Puck ground out through tightly clenched teeth. "Fucking leave, and don't come back."

"Why, so you can have fun with that freak? Don't think so."

"Santana, you need to get out _now_ before I force you to leave." Puck was mad to the point he was seeing red and not even focusing on who was in front of him, just that someone was hurting Rachel, again. He stood up and towered over Santana. "Things are OVER with us. Rachel isn't some _whore_ or some _freak_. She's Finn's fucking sister, okay? So go run back to wherever the hell you came from and get over yourself. Things have changed. I've grown up, you need to too." _Someone had to hurt Rachel...again. What has she done to deserve this? _Puck felt a sudden need to protect Rachel, without thinking, he lightly pushed Santana out of the doorway. _Rachel. _Was the only thing running through his head. After he pushed Santana out of his way, he heard a small whimper coming from the hallway. _Fuck my fucking life._

He couldn't get to the door fast enough. The next thing he knew, Rachel was flying out the door, slamming it behind her, he wasn't fast enough, he didn't get to her in time. _I failed her, I didn't save her._ Puck was staring, mouth open at the door, wondering what the hell just happened. He was in such shock, he didn't notice Santana still there, or Finn talking on the phone to Quinn. What did bring him back to his senses was Pixie scratching at his leg and whimpering. "Hey girl," Puck bent down and picked the small dog up. Pixie looked longingly at the door, whimpering slightly. Puck stoked the dogs back, vaguely hearing Finn tell Quinn what happened.

When Santana huffed behind them, both Puck and Finn turned towards her. "Get the hell out of my house! Now! You've caused enough! I don't care if Puck still wants to see you, it's his life, but it will not be under this roof! Now get out!" Finn seethed, not being able to hold back any longer. Finn had dealt with enough today, and now this, his baby sister gone. This was the final straw.

"I never want to see you again Santana. Don't call me, don't come around. If Rachel doesn't come back or we don't find her, it'll be your fault. Now leave." Puck said emotionless, he held the dog close, his mind trying to catch up with everything. In all honesty, he told the truth, he never wanted to see Santana again.

"Like _she_ was? How that turned into _my _problem? You can't blame all your problems on me!"

"Sure I can, watch me." Puck was just looking for someone to blame now and she was a safe target.

Santana was close to tears, "Whatever Puckerman. Finn, I don't even know what I did but I'm sorry." Finn watched Santana huff and storm out of the apartment.

"What was all that about?" Finn turned towards Puck, brows knitted in confusion.

"Huh, something that happened back in the summer before our junior year." Puck turned towards the couch. "What are we gonna do?" Puck sat down, looking back up at Finn.

"Quinn's going to go look for her, she had a good idea where she might be. Now tell me what happened." Finn sat down, he trusted Quinn to find his baby sister.

"Well, it all started when..."

**Flashback begins.**

_Puck woke to sun streaming into his room. Westerly High School had just let out for the summer and he was excited to start what would be a very relaxing summer vacation. Even though the beach would be packed, yes even the private breach, he still had the amazing in ground pool. Sure there wasn't much to do in Westerly, but Providence and New Port are only a short drive. Puck finally stood, his cousin would be here soon. Running down the stairs he called out for his mom. "Mom, when does Chrisi get here?" Puck walked into the large kitchen, his mom starting to carry breakfast to the table. _

_"She'll be here around noon. Can you go tell your father breakfast is ready?" Puck nodded heading out into his father's office. _

_"Morning Noah, what can I do for you?" _

_"Mom says breakfast is ready." His father stood, walking behind Puck._

_"Chrisi's here! Chrisi's here!" Puck's younger sister, Bridget yelled, running down the stairs and right out the front door. She greeted her cousin of the same age with a bear hug. "Ohmygod! We have so much to do! And Noah is going to take us to the beach and we have to go to that new movie..." Bridget carried on, listing the numerous things they just had to do._

_Puck walked down to the front door and hugged his cousin when he saw her. His aunt and uncle lugged several suitcases out of the back of the car and placed them in the lose stone of the turnaround drive way. "Here, let me get those." Puck picked them up and brought them into the house and right up to the guest bed room._

_When Puck came back down, his aunt and uncle were giving hugs and leaving for the airport. "Alright kids, let's go get breakfast before the day begins." Mrs. Puckerman led the kids back into the house and into the sun room or where they liked to eat breakfast. _

_The kids fell into a routine of sorts, breakfast, beach or something else, lunch at Friendly's or sometimes Puck would pick something up at Joyce's and take it back to the house to warm it up but if the girls were really lucky, Puck would get take out from Chen's. By the time both his parent's were home, Puck headed to that night's party, lucky for him, they were usually thrown on the beach or one of his friends houses (who lived practically on the beach) so he could walk there and sometime later, stagger back to his own home. _

_One particular night, two weeks into Chrisi's stay, Puck dropped the girls off at the movies with a couple of Bridget's friends. "And your sure Sophia's mom is driving you home?"_

_"Yes Noah, I can call you if we need you." Bridget hugged her brother one last time before jumping out. _

_"Well...Bridg, I'm going to that party, so I might not hear my phone." _

_Bridget shook her head, "It's okay, and I know she's driving us home." _

_Puck nodded and waited for his sister and cousin to enter the theater and see them join their friends. Puck took one last look at the theatre before driving off. _

_Hours later, way too many beers to remember, and a few shots that went down a little too easily, Puck finally stumbled a crossed her. "San," he slurred. _

_"Hey Puck. Whoa, you have really been drinking tonight. Wanna leave?" _

_"S'yeah..." _

_Puck woke up in a strange room, he couldn't remember anything. The familiar chirping of his cell phone made him get up, pulling it out of his pants pockets, he saw his mom's number flashing across the screen. "Shit..." He hesitantly picked it up, "Hello?"_

_"Where the hell are you?" His mother screamed into the phone. "You need to get your ass home, NOW! And when you get here, don't plan on leaving anytime soon. You're grounded. I expect you within half an hour" She hung up before he could even respond. Puck sighed, getting dressed in clothes that still reeked of alcohol. Sneaking down the stairs, he quietly left the Lopez's home and began his walk home. _

_When he finally arrived home, a police car sat in the drive. Puck was pretty sure he didn't do anything besides go to Santana's. His parent's never called the cops; they knew he would be home in the morning. _

_"Mom?" Puck yelled out as he walked into his home. _

_He could hear sobbing, and police talking. "Where in the family room Noah." Puck walked past the stairs and through the living room and into the family room. "Are you sure?" _

_"Yes Mrs. Puckerman, we have him in holding. Monday he will be arraigned." The officer standing in front of his parents jotted a few things on a note pad. Puck was starting to feel confused. "We're just lucky we came across them. We'll call if we need anything. Take care." The officer turned to leave, giving Puck a nod._

_Puck looked back to his parents, each holding a sobbing girl. "What happened?"_

_His father's red eyes looked up at him. "Where the hell have you been? Did you forget about your sister and cousin?"_

_"I crashed at a friend's house..."_

_"That's it Noah, I've had enough! Do you know what these poor girls went through? You knew your father and I were pulling doubles at the hospital!" His mother was now in tears, and he was just more confused._

_His father stepped in and tried to explain. "Bridget called you a dozen of times. Sophia's mom couldn't bring the girls home..." Puck's face paled. "After they couldn't get a hold of you or us at the hospital, they attempted to walk home. After about 15 minutes of walking, a car approached them, and two older men tried to pick them up. But luckily a cop drove by, and saw them. Do you know what would've happened if that officer didn't drive by? Where they would be?" Puck closed his eyes, he didn't want to think what would've happened. Now guilt washed over him, he should have been home to go pick them up. "Enough of this partying shit Noah. If your grades aren't up, I will not pay for your college education. I'm done Noah, no more parties, no more of these one night flings, no more getting drunk, nothing! Go upstairs and shower, you look like shit." Puck bit his lip and nodded. Turning around he went upstairs and followed his father's orders._

_The rest of the month and summer sucked. Puck couldn't go out unless it was for Bridget or Chrisi. Each night the whole family woke with screams from the two girls. Most nights Puck would comfort his sister or sing to them, he felt most of the guilt. He wasn't there for his baby sister._

**Flash back ends**

"...by the end of the summer though, everything was back to normal. No more nightmares or scared to go outside without someone. My aunt and uncle were pissed at me, but..." Puck shrugged his shoulders. "I stopped most of the partying, I still went to some, still had many more one night flings with nameless girls, but my grades stayed up and now I'm here."

Finn sat in a state of shock, eyes wide, mouth open. "Wow, I had no idea. Did the guys go to jail?"

Puck nodded, absentmindedly stroking the now sleeping dogs back. "Yeah, for attempted rape and kidnapping. It was only a few years, and I'm pretty sure they're out now. I don't know though, my sister's safe, that's all that counts." Puck looked at Finn. "See, I know how you feel. That helplessness over not being able to do anything for her. It sucks." Puck sighed, leaning his head on the back of the couch. "What are the chances of us getting put into a dorm together, then becoming best friends, and both of us having similar backgrounds?"

"Ha! Who knows...but it makes it a little easier, with you really understanding how I feel, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know." The guys sat in silence for a while. When Finn's phone rang, Puck lifted his head glancing at the clock, _two a.m., great! _

"It's Quinn." Finn felt relief, hoping Quinn found Rachel. "Quinn, did you find Rachel?"

"Yeah Finn, I have her. I'm coming to your apartment now. We'll be there in a few." Quinn was defeated. She had gone from public place to public place looking for Rachel until she finally showed a picture of her to a man at a coffee shop who pointed her in the right direction. Central Park. She found Rachel crying on a bench, a bag lying by her side. Quinn approached her, and Rachel lit up, she tried to say she couldn't go back, but after a heated argument, Rachel gave in.

Finn and Puck paced the floor, waiting for Rachel to come home. Even Pixie was anxious, following the guys back and forth. When the door handle moved, Puck and Finn froze, holding their breaths. It was pushed open revealing a tired Quinn and a defeated Rachel.

"Rach!" Finn ran over to her, gathering his baby sister in his arms. "I was so worried about you. We both were. Please never do that again."

Rachel sagged against her brother, sobs raking her body. "S-s-sorry."

"Shh, your home now." Finn pulled back, giving his sister a small, sad smile. Rachel looked around him, seeing Pixie and Puck standing close together. She pulled out of her brother's arms and slowly walked over to Puck.

"Can I give you a hug?" Rachel looked him over, not sure if that's what she wanted. But she remembered the feel if his arms around her and how she feels safe with him. Rachel gave a small nod. Puck closed the gap, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close.

Rachel continued to cry into Puck's chest. Finn smiled again before turning back to Quinn. "Thanks babe." He leaned down, giving her a chaste kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm so tired, I've been walking around for hours. I'm crashing here. We can talk in the morning." Quinn walked past Puck and Rachel and into Finn's room.

Finn looked at his still crying sister. "Rach? Are you gonna be okay if I head to bed? Or do you want me to stay?"

Rachel looked up at her brother. She shook her head, "No, I'm not okay. I'm scared but go. Noah, can you stay?"

Puck looked down at her, then to Finn, and back to her. "Sure. I guess I can," Puck nodded before rubbing her back softly. Finn nodded and walked off. "Where'd you go tonight?" Puck asked softly, leading Rachel to the couch.

Rachel shrugged, she sat down next to Puck, putting about a two feet between them. Pixie hopped up into the spot between Puck and Rachel, whimpering. "Hey Pix." Rachel scratched the dogs head, right behind her ears. The dog fell limp into Rachel's lap, loving the feeling of her owner back home.

"Why'd you leave?" Puck asked, trying to get her to talk.

After a few moments of silence, Rachel looked up at Puck, tears in her eyes. "I'm ruining everyone's lives'. I mean, everything was okay, then that guy came, your friend, you yelled at him because of me and now you lost a friend _because of me_." Rachel felt the tears roll down her cheeks. "Then tonight, your girlfriend showed up, you had told her not to come but she did and it should have been fine but I was scared and she called me names and I lost it. So, I packed a bag to leave. But I was so scared..." She trailed off, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

Puck looked at her, he wanted to comfort her, but he wanted her to talk a little. "Why? Why were you scared?"

"You...you pushed your girlfriend. I was scared that you would turn on me. On the other hand though, I felt guilty for making you yell at her. If it wasn't for me moving here, you wouldn't have had to yell at her or pushed her, Finn wouldn't have had to skip classes, both of you wouldn't have lost a friend, and Quinn wouldn't be out at all hours looking for me." Rachel glanced at the door, Puck saw it and shook his head. "You all must hate me..." She murmured.

Puck moved Pixie out of the way, she growled softly, "Fucking grr to you too." That made got a small smile out of Rachel but as soon as Puck put his arm around her, drawing her into his chest, she broke down-again. "Shh Rachel, we don't hate you. You don't have to be scared of me, I would never do that. I wasn't thinking, I was just so mad that someone was hurting you for the second time in one day. Don't feel guilty, she wasn't my girlfriend, and it would have ended sooner or later, whatever it was we had. Finn loves you, he would do anything for you. Quinn...she loves you too, and she was just as worried us Finn and I. I don't think she would have gone out if she didn't." Puck rubbed soothing circles on her back, willing her tears away. "Shh, it's okay and your okay." Puck dropped his head onto hers, the day finally wearing down on him. Rachel continued to cry, softer now, but he could still feel the tears soaking his shirt. Puck felt Pixie curl up next to him, just touching his thigh. They sat in silence for a few minutes, just until Rachel stopped crying. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Puck nudged her, hoping she would stand.

She didn't though, instead she pulled herself closer, shaking her head. "No, a few more minutes..." She mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

Puck laughed lightly, "No, come on, now." Rachel shook her head again. "How about we compromise. I'll stay with you just until you fall asleep." It took her a few minutes to respond but she finally nodded, slowly standing and making her way to her room. Puck stood and glanced at Pixie. "Come on, are you coming Pixie?" Pixie perked up, looking at Puck and Rachel's retreating form before she jumped down and followed Puck.

Once Pixie was in the room, Puck quietly shut the door, standing there until Rachel came out of her bathroom. The bathroom light turned off and Rachel emerged wearing a pair of sweats and a large t-shirt. She crossed the room, climbing under her blankets. Once she was settled, she looked up at Puck expectantly.

He nodded, turning off the light before he went to the bed. He climbed in, with his back against the head board, he let Rachel situate herself against his chest before wrapping his arm around her. "Night Rachel." Rachel didn't get a chance to respond when Pixie let out a low growl. "Jeez, fucking grr, night _Pixie_." Rachel let out a small, very quiet giggle before mumbling a 'good night'. Puck allowed himself to sit and rub Rachel's back even though she was sound asleep. Later, he'll tell himself it was because he wasn't really sure if she was asleep or not. He kept hearing that giggle and vowed to himself that night he has to get her to do that more often. When his eyes grew heavy, he didn't even move, he just tightened his grip on her and drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: I lied to you; there is no movie theater in Westerly. There used to be but it's now an Auto Zone. :) **


	7. Chapter Six

**Broken**  
**Chapter 6- But I'm Holding You Closer than Most**

Rachel snuggled back into the warmth of someone's chest, she even smiled when she felt the arm around her waist tighten. Pixie jumped off the bed and started scratching at the door, wanting to be let out. At Pixie's scratching, Rachel woke up and looked over and saw Puck sleeping next to her. She smiled slightly leaning into his embrace. Pixie grew anxious, whining a little at being ignored. Puck groaned, "Shh, Pixie, go back to sleep." As soon as Puck pulled Rachel a little closer, his eyes flew open, his body growing tense. He was unsure of whether to let Rachel go and move or to continue to hold Rachel like it was an everyday thing. "Uh, morning Rachel." Puck cleared his throat still unsure of how to handle this situation. He did know that if Finn walked in while they were in this position, he was screwed.

"Morning Noah." Rachel avoided eye contact, she didn't know how to handle what was going on. Part of her wanted to stay wrapped up in Puck's arms, but a major part of her brain was screaming _run_! Rachel started to think about that night's events, she knew it was late when Puck brought her to her room, and that his compromise was to stay until she fell asleep. Rachel couldn't help but to question his presence in her room. Did he fall asleep on accident? Did he not even notice the cuddling? Was he awake the whole time, just laying next to her, watching her sleep? As Rachel's thoughts went a mile per minute, one stood out. She even said it out loud. "I didn't have any nightmares." Rachel was astounded by that one thought.

"What?" Puck was confused, he knew she had a nightmare on that first day she stayed here. But he didn't understand what she meant. Did she not have nightmares while he held her? Did she find comfort in his arms?

"I did not have one nightmare..." Rachel trailed off. What did this mean? She couldn't get close to him, there was no way she could. The last time...Rachel shook her head, trying to rid the thoughts of that _last time_. Rachel can feel the tears the coming to her eyes, she can't let those thoughts consume her.

**Flashback Begins**

_Rachel laid in her bed cuddled with her long time boyfriend. She loved the way they could curl into one another, and be totally silent. Rachel smiled as he placed open mouthed kisses along her neck. She even giggled when he pulled her so close she could feel him against her lower back. "Come on baby," he whispered into her ear, nibbling gently._

_"You know I'm not ready." Rachel said, scooting to put some space between the two of them._

_"Come on Rach," He pulled her back to him roughly, his grip bruising. _

_"No, I'm not ready!" Rachel tried to push herself away from him but he kept his hold._

_"I'm sorry baby," He kept up the kisses across her neck. She was tense against him but he refused to loosen the tight grip. _

**Flashback Ends**

Rachel felt the tears escaping as she thought of that night. She was hoping Puck wouldn't notice but he still held her close. "Rachel? Are you okay?" Puck's voice broke Rachel out of her thoughts but she couldn't find it in her to lie to him. She silently shook her head. "What's wrong baby?" Puck let the endearment slip and when Rachel flinched, he winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I mean...uh, wh-what's wrong R-rachel?" Puck shook his head, he couldn't remember the last time he stuttered. Rachel just shook her head. She couldn't think what she would tell him, all she knew was she had to stop these absurd thoughts.

Rachel knew Puck wasn't _him_, she knew deep down that Puck would never hurt her. Rachel felt _safe _with Puck, for the first time in two years she honestly felt _safe _with a man. Rachel turned suddenly, crying into his chest.

Puck hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. He was lost on what to do or say. He wasn't even sure of why she was so upset. But Puck did what is natural to him, he rubbed her back and started to quietly sing to her.

_Trouble is her only friend and he's back again.  
Makes her body older than it really is.  
She says it's high time she went away,  
No one's got much to say in this town.  
Trouble is the only way is down._

Rachel could hear Puck singing to her, taking a few deep breaths to get her sobs under control, she really wanted to hear what he was saying. She continued to sniffle, but his voice soothed her, almost as much as him rubbing her back. She tried so hard to forget the last time _someone _sang to her.

_Down, down.  
As strong as you were, tender you go.  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,  
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.  
I'll carry you home._

Puck could feel her sobs coming under control, he smirked to himself, pride swelling in his chest. Once again he was able to help her, get her past whatever was bothering her. Puck continued rubbing her back and singing.

_If she had wings she would fly away,  
And another day God will give her some.  
Trouble is the only way is down.  
Down, down.  
As strong as you were, tender you go.  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,  
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.  
I'll carry you home._

Rachel closed her eyes, letting Puck's voice fill her eyes. His voice was quiet, but it held such a smoothness to it, with years of perfection ringing through. Rachel snuggled a little closer, letting for once, her mind come to a stop, not thinking once about anything.

_And they were all born pretty in New York City tonight,  
And someone's little girl was taken from the world tonight,  
Under the Stars and Stripes.  
As strong as you were, tender you go.  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,  
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.  
I'll carry you home._

Puck knew this song would hit a little too close to home, but Rachel sob's had stopped. He sung the last note out, letting it fade into the quietness of the room. Not even Pixie made a noise, she just laid in front of the door. Puck let the silence continue, not wanting to really break it, it was almost peaceful.

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" Rachel's voice was rough from emotion and muffled due to her face still buried in his chest.

Puck shrugged, "Believe it or not, my ma had started me in guitar lessons with this old guy, Mr. Rossi, and soon after he suggested piano. I guess he saw talent." Puck chuckled. "And with that, I started singing. It was for fun at first, but it became serious when I started high school. That's what I chose to major in college." Puck shrugged again, not really sure what else to say. It had really had started with him wanting to learn guitar and just grew from there.

"You have an amazing voice." Rachel's voice had grown to whisper, like she was afraid to admit it. If there had been any background noise, Puck wouldn't have heard her.

"Thanks." Puck stopped rubbing her back, "I think we..."

He was cut off by Rachel, "Sing to me again."

Puck was taken back, he quickly searched his mind for another song to sing to her. "Uh, sure." He held her a little closer as he started to sing.

_A drop in the ocean  
A change in the weather  
I was praying that you and me might end up together  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
Cause you are my heaven._

Rachel let his voice once again soothe her. His voice seemed to hold so much unsaid emotion, but Rachel found it easy to listen to him, almost too easy.

_I don't wanna waste the weekend  
If you don't love me, pretend a few more hours, then  
it's time to go  
and As my train rolls down the east coast, I wonder how  
you keep warm  
It's too late to cry  
To broken to move on  
And still I can't let you be  
Most nights I hardly sleep  
Don't seek what you don't need from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean  
A change in the weather  
I was praying that you and me might end up together  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
Cause you are my heaven._

Puck tried to hold back the emotion in his voice. He didn't honestly know why he chose this song, but he did.

_Misplaced trust and old friends  
Never counting regrets  
by the grace of god I do not rest at all  
In new England as the leaves change  
The last excuse that I'll claim, I was a boy who loved  
a woman like a little girl  
And still I can't let you be  
Most nights I hardly sleep  
Don't seek what you don't need from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean  
A change in the weather  
I was praying that you and me might end up together  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
Cause you are my,_

_Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore no no  
Heaven doesn't seem far away  
Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore no no  
Heaven doesn't seem far away Ahow, Ahow,_

_A drop in the ocean  
A change in the weather  
I was praying that you and me might end up together  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
Cause you are my heaven._

_You are my heaven._

Puck once again held the last note out, waiting for a reaction from Rachel. She lifted her head off his chest and looked into his hazel eyes. She saw the emotion that swirled in them, and the unshed tears. "That was beautiful Noah, thank you."

Puck rubbed her back a few more times. "You're welcome Rachel." Puck let his eyes drift closed again. Holding Rachel to him.

**…***...*****

Standing outside Rachel's door, listening to Puck singing was Quinn. When she heard the muffled thank you from Rachel, she decided to head back to the kitchen where Finn was making some coffee. "He's falling for her, you know that, right?"

Finn's head snapped up from the paper he was reading, meeting the eyes of his girlfriend. "Who are talking about?" Finn looked at Quinn, puzzled.

Quinn laughed quietly as she placed a mug of coffee in front of Finn. "Puck, he's falling for Rachel. Pretty hard too." Quinn shook her head, pouring her creamer in the coffee.

Finn dropped the paper, looking more confused. "What makes you say that?" He reached for the sugar dish in the center of the table.

Quinn glanced at Finn, "He sang to her Finn. When was the last time Puck sang to someone? I don't think I ever remember him singing. He even sang after she requested it. So, I'll repeat myself; he's falling for her."

"He sing's all the time... Well, when he has something due for a class but he's a music major." Finn tried to defend Puck, and then it clicked. "Wait, what's he doing in her room? What was he singing to her?" Finn kicked into big brother mode, Puck was only supposed to sit with her, not follow her into her room.

Quinn laughed at her distressed boyfriend. "I honestly don't know what he's doing in her room but he did sing _A Drop In the Ocean_. And Rachel had said again, so he must have sung her something else too." Quinn smiled at how romantic it was to hear Puck sing to Rachel.

"What? Isn't that like...?" Finn trailed off. His best friend was singing to his baby sister, "Why?"

Quinn looked up, "Why what?"

"Why would Puck sing to her?"

"I don't know. Maybe Rachel finds comfort in his voice. Finn, it's been two years, if she falls for him... Well Puck can be nice and you know he'll treat her right."

Finn tapped his foot, a scowl on his face. "Damn right he will or I'll kick his ass."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Rachel's not going to let herself fall so easily. She's going to be guarded. But we'll see within the week how Puck is really feeling, I mean, you know, see how one night stands he has." Quinn shuddered, she knew he was always bringing someone new back the apartment or staying out all night.

Finn stopped and looked at Quinn. "He threw Santana out last night. He turned her down." Finn's eyes widened, just realizing how serious this was. At the same time Quinn's eyes widened.

"He did what?" A disbelieving tone took over her voice.

Finn groaned, Puck was falling for his sister. "Last night, when Santana came and talked shit to Rach, he yelled at Santana. Then after Rach left, he threw her out, told her he was done. He really is..." Finn trailed off.

"Come again. Will you please explain?" Finn jumped into the story of Puck throwing Santana out and how Puck opened up to him about his little sister and cousin. "I never would have pegged Puck to be so…_sensitive_. I guess he might be good for Rachel..."

Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know but... The last time Rachel fell in love..."

Quinn cut Finn off. "Don't talk like that! Do you really think Puck would do that to Rachel?" Finn shook his head, he couldn't imagine Puck hurting somebody like the other one did. "He'll be good for her. But let her do this on her own."

Finn grumbled, "Fine, but he better not screw up."

…*****…*****

For the second time that day, Rachel woke up, still encased in Puck's arms. She had no clue what the time actually was, but her door was cracked up and Pixie was gone. Rachel was successful at twisting out of Puck's arms, leaving him still sleeping. When Rachel reached the living room, Quinn and Finn were curled up on the couch, talking quietly.

Quinn was the first to notice her, "Morning Rachel!" Quinn stood up and moved towards the kitchen. "Come on Rachel, you must be hungry. It's past one." Rachel just walked off towards the kitchen, not even acknowledging Finn. "So, after our busy night, how'd you sleep? I'm guessing quite well since it's almost two in the afternoon." Quinn pulled the ingredients for a sandwich out from the fridge.

Rachel sat in a chair at the table. "I'm sorry about that. I freaked." Rachel pursed her lips, keeping her head down.

"Don't be sorry, I understand. What I don't understand is your situation with Puck? What's going on?" Quinn placed a turkey sandwich in front of Rachel, a bottle of water and a bag of chips before sitting across from her.

Rachel looked at the lay out, when she looked at Quinn, she sighed. "I don't know. He's really nice though, and… I don't know Quinn, I feel safe with him." Rachel stuffed the sandwich in her mouth, trying not to answer any more questions.

Quinn arched and eyebrow at her. "You…feel safe…with him? Huh." Quinn watched as Rachel ate her sandwich, she still looked the girl from two years ago, broken but maybe things could get better.

Rachel sighed, "Quinn?"

"Yeah?" Quinn watched a tear slide silently down Rachel's face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared." Rachel's bottom lip quivered, she buried her face in her hands, trying to hide herself.

Quinn sighed, moving to kneel beside Rachel, "Of what Rachel?" Quinn smoothed Rachel's hair, she knew what Rachel was scared of but she wanted to hear it from Rachel.

Rachel didn't say anything, she couldn't admit that she was afraid of being hurt again. She's been there, done that, and she wishes not to do it again. Yet every time Puck makes the move to comfort her, she wants to love, to be whole again, but she doesn't know how. She had the melt down this morning, yet Puck held her, sang to her, made her feel safe; Rachel really didn't know how to go about it, the only one that ever loved her, broke her.

"You know I'm sorry, right." Rachel looked down to Quinn, tears streaking down her face.

Rachel looked away, "I never blamed you Quinn, it wasn't…"

"Yes! Rachel if I had just come, you wouldn't be in this situation, you wouldn't be afraid. I'm so, so, sorry Rachel."

Rachel let that night come back to her thoughts…

**Flashback begins**

"_Rachel, come on, stop, I told you I had practice tonight. Then after I was having dinner with Finn and my parents. I'm sorry Rachel, I just can't pick you up tonight." Quinn sighed into the phone. _

_Rachel was near tears, "I know, I was trying one last time."_

"_Where are your father's?"_

"_Business trip, remember?" Rachel locked the door and began her 45 minute walk to the dance studio, still on her cell with Quinn._

"_Right, and your boy toy?"_

_Rachel laughed, "We had another fight last night, so I'm not really talking to him. Kurt would bring me home but he has a hot date with that guy he met last weekend." Rachel crossed the street. "It's okay Quinn, it'll only be 6:30 when I get out, and so I should be okay. I mean its Lima, what's the worst that can happen?" _

"_Ha! I know right? Well, Rachel darling, I have to go, before I end up doing laps or something. Promise to call me when you make it through the door tonight. I know Finn will worry too."_

"_Promise." Rachel said her goodbye's with Quinn and hung up. She sent her brother a quick text to let him know she was on her way to the dance studio and she'll see him later. _

**Flashback Ends.**

Quinn gathered Rachel into her arms, she knew Rachel was lost in her thoughts about the past. Quinn tried to never bring it up, but sometimes she slipped. Quinn looked up to see Finn standing in the doorway, sadness etched into his face, Quinn shrugged before going back to comfort Rachel.

…*****…*****

Finn watched Quinn comfort Rachel, sighing he went to wait for his friend to wake up. He knew Rachel moving in with him was going to be difficult, she was adjusting okay, better than he thought she would.

And this whole Puck situation, that was driving Finn crazy. He still didn't understand what was happening. What Quinn said earlier still rang through his ears. He told Puck he needed to stay away from his sister, Finn understood the comforting here and there, and he also understood that Rachel obviously saw something in him to allow him to provide it. He knew Rachel needed a rock in her life, someone to help her but Finn really didn't think Puck could provide that. It's not that he didn't trust Puck but Rachel really couldn't handle anymore heartbreak in her life. He winced when a loud sob from the kitchen rang through the apartment, Quinn was still with her, trying her best to calm her down.

Puck walked into the living room, wincing as the bright light from the picture window hit his eyes. "Morning," he grumbled as he plopped on the couch. "Is Rachel crying?" Puck sat up a little straighter, his body turning towards the kitchen.

Finn tried holding his tongue, but his anger got the best of him. "What the hell man? I told you to stay away from my little sister! She doesn't need to be strung along; she wouldn't be able to handle anymore heartbreak!" Finn raised his voice ever so slightly.

Puck whipped back around to face Finn, confusion evident, "What are you talking about? So Rachel and I are becoming friends? Is there a problem with that? She hasn't pushed me away!" Puck's voice also rose. Neither of them realized Rachel's sobs became worse as she listened to her brother and his best friend argue. "Finn, I fucking understand you care and you worry, but honestly? Do you think I would fucking do something to your sister? I wouldn't fucking hurt her man! I don't know what happened back in your shitty ass town, and frankly I don't give a flying fuck, but she's here now and she's finally showing some progress, I'm not going to fucking leave her just because you say she's fragile! She might need that push in the right direction! If I can help her, than I will!" Puck found himself standing in front of Finn, seething. Both fist clenched at his side.

Finn shook his head, scowling up at Puck. "You are fucking falling in love with my sister!" Finn threw the accusation out there.

Puck's eyebrows shot up, his jaw hitting the floor. "What? I never said anything about love! I said I would be her friend…" Puck scoffed. "Dude, I'm sorry that she's finding it easier for me to help her and not you. I know that shit must hurt."

"Whatever Puck. I swear to god the first time you screw up, I will beat your ass." Finn stood, staring Puck down. "You say you're her friend now, but what happens six months down the road when you realize she isn't making progress? It's been two years Puck!"

"Maybe she needed someone new! A new environment! Somebody who wouldn't judge her and treat her like a fucking porcelain doll or put a time to how long she's been hurting. Maybe that hurts her more. Every time she cries, its," Puck glanced at the kitchen, "'It's been two year's Puck, don't waste your time, she's not changing.'" Puck mocked Finn.

"Fuck off! You have no idea what happened…"

"That's because no one will tell me!"

Puck followed Rachel's figure as she ran to her room, slamming her door shut, much like a few nights ago. "Way to go Puck, if you would just leave her alone!"

"Me? If you didn't fucking attack me…"

Quinn cut their argument off, "Enough!" She yelled. "Finn, face it, Puck's right. She needs something new to help her. I just realized that. I brought up the past, and she started crying. We judge her on how she hasn't changed, but… Puck doesn't, he's there to comfort her, not caring about what happened. We need to concentrate on helping her." A tear slid down Quinn's cheek, she walked off to Finn's bedroom, leaving the two guys to think.

"She's right," Finn grumbled.

Puck patted Finn's shoulder before stepping away and into the kitchen. He sighed when he saw the rest of a sandwich and chips and half a bottle of water; at least he knew she ate something before shutting herself in her room. He cleaned up that mess, and then warmed up some of last night's dinner. Puck tried not to re-live that conversation with Finn, he couldn't believe Finn would accuse him of trying to hurt Rachel. Puck groaned, taking out the hot plate and digging in. He didn't have a chance to really eat last night, so he was starving.

Puck started to clean his own dishes when Pixie trotted in, she sat patiently at Puck's feet, whining every few minutes. Finally Puck gave in and looked down at the small dog. "Hey Pixie, what can I do for you?" Pixie barked, running over to her empty food and water dishes. "Hungry girl?" Pixie growled softly before barking again. "Okay, okay. Let me get you your food." Puck went to the cupboard, pulling out some dry dog food then getting the can of wet she also ate. Puck sighed, mixing the food for the dog then putting it down; he rubbed the dogs head. "Here you go girl, food and water." Puck obviously didn't move fast enough, Pixie let out a low growl; Puck stood up, putting his hands in the air to surrender. "Fucking grr to you too. I'll leave you and your food alone." Puck grabbed a bottle of water before going back to his room. He still had homework to finish before his class tomorrow.

After an hour, Pixie came walking into his room, sitting at his bedside, she whined for his attention. "What Pixie?" Pixie walked towards his door, looking over at him every few steps. Pixie whined, hoping to keep his attention on her. Puck finally looked up, "What?" Pixie wagged her tail and went across the hall to Rachel's door, whining again. "Oh, gotcha." Puck removed his books off his lap, going to let Pixie in Rachel's room. Puck knocked softly, "Hey, Rachel?" No answer. "Rachel, Pixie wants to come in." Still no answer, Puck shifted on his feet, growing nervous. "Rachel, I'm going to let Pixie in." When she still didn't answer him, he tried the door. Only to find it locked. Pixie whined and scratched at the door. "Rachel?" Puck called again. He would go as far as to breaking the damn door down to make sure she was alright.

Finally, the door clicked unlock, the door opened only enough to let Pixie in and then slammed shut again, in Puck's face. "What the hell?" He grumbled softly. He knew he shouldn't, but his stomach twisted with guilt and hurt. He was guilty because he argued with Finn and made her upset. He was hurt because she shut him out, not letting him help. He let his head fall against her door with a loud bang. Sighing deeply, he squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to move from his spot. Little did he know Rachel was on the other side, fighting back sobs. If she let them take over, she knew Puck would find away in. Pixie curled up next to her, the comfort her little dog provided before couldn't compare to the comfort she found when Puck held her. She fought the thoughts that tried to consume her.

After what seemed to be a long time, Rachel finally herd Puck sigh and storm back to his own room, slamming his own door. It was then, and only then that Rachel let the sob's rake through her body, bringing her into a restless sleep.

**A/N: So, I don't own ****_Carry You Home by James Blunt _****or ****_A drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope_****. **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Broken**

**Chapter 7- Just Another Guy **

**A/N: ****I remember when I first posted this (almost 10 years ago, wow) people wanted clarification on ages… ****I know Rachel's was made clear but here go:**

**Rachel- 19 years old**  
**Kurt- 19 years old**  
**Finn, Quinn, Puck, and everyone else unless otherwise noted- 20 years old**  
**I own nothing...but this plot line. And I don't own the title to this chapter. That's Lauren Conrad's handy work! **

_One month. _Puck sat at his computer, looking over the essay due in his class on Monday. He couldn't help but think back to that night one month ago where Rachel shut him out; she hasn't said more than two words to him since. Even Pixie has ignored him, every time he came into the room that Pixie was in, she would run off, finding another room to be in. He didn't know what pissed him off more, Rachel or Pixie. And don't even get him started on the nights he has to listen to her crying and can't do a damn thing about it. Every night he wants to bang on her door until she has no choice but to open it but Finn gives him a death glare before he or Quinn slips in and comforts her.

In the one month since that night, they all fell into a routine. During the day on Monday's and Tuesday's, Quinn stayed with her until Finn and Puck came home. Wednesday's and Friday's were Puck's days, and every so often, he would let Finn and Quinn have date night on Friday. The other day Finn watched her, he usually volunteered a few hours at the library. They still kept their days on who made dinner, and most of the days Rachel sat with them.

Puck slammed the lap top screen down, going out to find something to drink. It was Friday and a date night for Finn and Quinn. He pulled out ingredients to make some sandwiches. Stomping to Rachel's closed door, he spoke through the door. "Rach, I'm making sandwiches, do you want one?" Puck was frustrated, having to speak through closed doors, and her never looking at him; her head was always down.

"Yes, please." Rachel answered in a low voice. Puck groaned, that's all he ever got, two worded answers.

As Puck made the sandwiches, he remembered that morning, Rachel had let him hold her, sing to her, comfort her. She did a complete 180 and he didn't know how to handle it yet. He heard her enter the kitchen, turning slightly so Puck could see her. "What do you want to drink?" Puck turned all the way around to see her at the table, head down.

Rachel didn't look up, but she did answer him. "Water, please." Rachel said quietly.

With the second two worded answer, Puck's balled his fist, ready to hit something. "Damn it Rachel!" He watched her flinch, but at this point he didn't care, she needed to hear him out. "What did I do wrong? I can't fix anything if you don't tell me what I did. I can't stand this bullshit!" In the back of Puck's head, he knew this was only going to make her cry, but maybe that would give him an opportunity to move in, and show her he was still here for her.

Rachel shook her head, and stood to leave the room. "It's not you." Rachel ran from the room, heading back to her room.

Puck sighed, dropping his head, "Damn it," he muttered. He finished her sandwich, grabbing a bottle of water and an apple, he brought to her room. Knocking first, he slowly opened the door. "Rachel?" No response came from the girl curled up on the center of her bed. "Here's your lunch. I'm sorry about earlier, I'm just...frustrated." He put the items down on her bed side table. When she didn't acknowledge him, he sighed and left the room.

As Puck ate his lunch, he made a decision right then and there; he had to get out of the apartment for the night. He hadn't been out since before Rachel came; he just needed one night away from the frustration. He knew there was a party tonight, he could go there, no he wanted to go. All he had to do was call in a favor from a friend.

**…***...*****

"Thanks again man. I really need to have a night out." Puck greeted Kurt.

Kurt sighed, slipping off his designer coat. "Not a problem, I understand. I just...it's hard seeing her like this, still." Kurt went to the kitchen, helping himself to a bottle of water.

"Trust me, I know what you mean." Puck grabbed his coat off the back of the chair, checking to make sure he had his wallet, cell and keys before heading to the door. "Thanks again, I'll talk to you later." Puck slipped out the door, a funny feeling resting in the pit of his stomach.

Kurt sighed, he loved Rachel, but tonight was suppose to be his night to be by himself. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the stove to make Rachel a cup of her favorite tea. He figured he better get on her good side.

When the tea was ready, he walked it to her room. "Rachel, honey, it's Kurt. Can I come in? I made you tea."

"Yes." Rachel answered quietly, Kurt slipped in and took in the sight of Rachel, hair limp, her in sweats and a t-shirt.

Kurt shook his head, stepping over to her bed. "Hey sweetie. How are you?" Kurt set the hot drink down on the bed side table. "Come on, Rachel, let me do your hair, you'll feel so much better. Promise."

Rachel shook her. "Where did Noah go?" She looked up at Kurt. Even though she hasn't really talked to Puck, she still felt safer when she knew he was here. She knew he would protect her.

"He...um, went out sweetie. You know, to go do some things. He'll be back later." Kurt gently rubbed her back. "Do you want to talk?" Rachel shook her head. Kurt didn't know what else to do, so he just sat with her, watching a few movies.

Around ten, he heard the front door open and Finn and Quinn talking quietly. "Puck?" Finn called out, Kurt shook his head, now knowing Puck never told them he was leaving.

Kurt walked out the living room, "I don't know where he went, he just said he needed a night out. So, I came over to sit with Rachel." Kurt looked at Finn, recognizing the pissed look.

"Are you kidding? He should have called me." Finn left Kurt and Quinn in the living room and went to check on Rachel. "Hey Rach, I'm home." Finn couldn't tell if Rachel was awake or asleep.

When Rachel rolled over, she sat up to look at her brother standing in the door way. "Oh, hi Finn." Rachel sat up a little more and pulled her knees to her chest. "Is Noah home yet?" She knew she shouldn't ask, she has been avoiding him.

"Um, no, he's not." Finn walked to her bed, sitting on the edge, a small smile playing on his lips. "Quinn and I went for a walk tonight in the park, we saw this little girl skipping down the path with her parents and her brother, she was singing some song. Do you remember when Dad and Daddy would take you to see a Broadway show and I would have to go, but after when we would walk back to the hotel, you would skip while holding Dad's hand singing your favorite show tune? I would just roll my eyes and think how crazy you were." Finn chuckled to himself. "Or when were even younger and you would dress me up and make me sing some weird song..."

"But later you loved it and joined the show choir with me." Rachel remembered the day her brother joined, she was excited but he just wanted more time with Quinn, or so he says.

"You never sing anymore." Finn looked at his sister, who flinched at the unpleasant memories attached to the show choir back home.

Rachel could feel the tears burn her eyes. "I know," she said quietly.

"You let Puck sing to you. You haven't let someone..."

The tears slid down Rachel's cheeks. "I know Finn!" Rachel hid her face in her blankets, sobbing.

"Why won't you talk to him? He's only trying to be your friend." Finn rubbed his sister's back.

She gulped in a large breath, "Because, the last time..."

"Come on Rach! He won't hurt you, Puck's not like him. Sure, Puck can be an ass, sometimes inconsiderate when it comes to other people. But he can be nice. I saw that when you came. He cares..."

"Please Finn, I don't want..."

Finn stood, talking over Rachel, cutting her off. "You don't want to hear it? Well listen Rachel, you came here for a fresh start. It's been a month, a rocky one, but still." Finn walked towards the door. "I love you Rachel, you'll always be my baby sister but I want to see you get better. If Puck will help you get better, let him in, and let him help you. Because nothing Dad, Daddy, Quinn or I have done has helped. This is our last option, so please, let someone help you..." Finn trailed off, when Rachel just continued to cry, he shut her door and walked to the living room. "Any word from Puck?" Finn asked Quinn, realizing Kurt already left.

Quinn shook her head, "No. Do you want me to stay the night? Just in case..." Quinn trailed off.

Finn nodded, "I hope the jackass has his keys, I'm ready for bed."

"Me too." Quinn stood to join Finn.

"Do you know what the first thing Rachel asked me?" Quinn shook her head, "If Puck was home yet." Finn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Quinn looked at her over tired, over stressed boyfriend. "Of course she did, just because she hasn't talked to him doesn't mean she doesn't misses him. Come on, let's go to bed. I'll rub your back for you." Finn smiled, heading back to the bedroom.

**…***...*****

Puck stumbled up the stairs of his apartment building. At this point in time he wishes an elevator was available. He really hadn't meant to pass out, he did plan to come home last night. But after three beers, he moved to the whiskey, and after that, his night's all a blur.

He finally makes it to the apartment door, he struggled to get the right key into the door, his headache was worse than most. After what felt like 20 minutes, someone opened the door for him. Puck looked up to see Finn in his pajama pants and a t-shirt, Finn looked pissed on top of it. Puck couldn't blame him, it was 6 in the morning. "Hey..." Puck swallowed down the feeling of throwing up. "...Finn. Thanks man."

Finn didn't move out of Puck's way. "Where the hell have you been? We have all been worried. You could've called!"

Puck winced at Finn's loud voice. "Dude...quiet please. And I needed a night..." Puck blinked his eyes open. "Can you let me in?" Finn moved out of his way, but followed Puck into the kitchen.

"Do you know where Quinn has been all night?" Finn watched Puck try to find the aspirin and a bottle of water.

Puck shook his head. "No, why don't you fill me in." Puck snapped.

"Trying to calm Rachel..."

Puck whipped around. "Yeah? What's new?" Puck finally located the pills, moving to the fridge for water.

Finn slammed his fist down on the counter top, "This time Rachel was worried you had been killed or some shit!"

Puck sighed, lowering his voice. "I don't know what to do. How to help, I feel useless. She won't even talk to me."

Finn moved to sit down, "Puck, what happened two years ago, really hurt her. Maybe you should sit down." Puck came and sat down next to Finn. "A little over two years ago, Rachel was 'in love' with a kid that I didn't like so much. But he was in show choir with her, they were the leads, and pretty amazing ones too. They met her sophomore year and started dating almost immediately. She was so happy, he was over almost every day, my dad's loved him. We even did double dates," Finn shrugs, shaking his head at the memory. "About six months in, Quinn brought up how she could see him controlling her, and the small signs of mental abuse." Finn saw the confused look in Puck's face. "You know, like telling her she wasn't dancing well enough, that she needed more practice. Or her voice was shaking and she needed to run more scales. Quinn said the big clue was when Rachel ordered fries at dinner and he told her that she didn't need any more calories in her diet." Finn watched as Puck became upset. "But I pushed it aside and told her not to worry, that Rachel was a big girl and she could handle herself. I should have done something..." Finn shook his head, looking down and away from Puck. "But a year in, no one was able to pick her up from dance, that's when..."

"Finn?" Quinn stood in the door way, on the verge of tears. "Rachel, she's coming in for breakfast." Quinn nodded, walking to the coffee pot. Seconds later they could hear Rachel's door open and close.

Finn looked over at Puck, "I guess we'll talk later." Finn stood and left the kitchen before Rachel could come in.

Puck watched Rachel walk in, and when their eyes met, Rachel's shoulders fell, like a weight had just been removed. Rachel didn't say anything, just went to find breakfast. Puck stood, "I'll be in the shower." But instead of him going to his room, he went to Finn's. "Tell me what happened!" Puck needed to know the rest before he jumped to conclusions.

Finn sighed, "I can't and I won't discuss details. It's not my story to tell. All you need to know is Rachel's boyfriend attacked her that night. Raped her and left her for dead. We found her hours later when someone found her. We almost lost her that night and since then she hasn't been the same. She hasn't sang, danced, baked, nothing." Dropping his face into his hands, Finn let a few tears leak, he hated bringing up that night. It was too much for him. "Now you know..."

Puck stormed out of the room, heading to his, shutting and locking his door, he began to pace the length of the room. He couldn't think of what kind of sick bastard would hurt Rachel like that. How could he have left Rachel for dead? How come Finn didn't say something when Quinn noticed it? Where were her father's? How come they didn't see it?

Puck's headache came back full force, he really didn't have the energy to think this much. Plopping down on his bed, he realized the story Finn told him still had gaps, but at least he now knew some of it. Puck had a lot to think about. Scratches at his door brought him from his thoughts. Puck opened it, seeing Pixie on the other side. "Hey girl." Puck smiled when Pixie ran in and jumped up onto his bed, softly whining. Puck re-closed his door and went to join the small dog on his bed, Pixie curled into Puck and started to fall asleep. He rubbed her back slowly, happy that one of them was no longer ignoring him.

**…***...*****

"Finn?" Rachel called out from the kitchen.

"Yeah Rach?" Finn was playing a video game on the couch.

"Have you seen Pixie?"

"Nope. Want me to check the bedrooms?" Finn paused his games and stood up.

"Yes, please. It's time for her to eat."

"Okay." Finn checked his room first, but no Pixie. Then Rachel's, but he still couldn't find the dog, he checked the main bathroom, but couldn't find the small dog. He glanced at Puck's but he didn't think Pixie would be in there, but he opened the door to look, just in case. "Rachel, I found Pixie. Come here." Rachel was by Finn's side in a minute, peaking into Puck's room were here Pixie laid curled into Puck's chest.

"Oh, I guess leave her. As long as I know where she is. Can we leave the door opened?" Finn nodded, leaving Rachel in Puck's doorway.

**A/N: Oh boy...Questions? Comments? Please, I love to hear them! :) **


	9. Chapter Eight

**Broken**

**Chapter 8- Take a Chance and Be Strong**

Finn held the plastic DVD case tightly, making his way back towards his sister's room. When he bought the DVD for her, he really didn't take into account that she might not even want anything to do with it. "Rachel?" He knocked softly on her door. "Are you up yet?"

Rachel opened the door, "Yes, why?" She glanced down to see the DVD in her brothers hands.

"Want to watch it with me?" Finn held up the case, showing her it was _The West Side Story_. Rachel nodded, a small smile played on her lips.

"You remembered it was my favorite?" She asked as Finn put the movie in.

"How could I forget it? Dad and Daddy took us to see it years ago on Broadway. You never shut up about it, you came out of the theater saying how one day that would be you up there..." Finn trails off, thinking maybe his walk down memory lane went too far.

Rachel nods, "Yeah, I remember. I guess dreams chan..."

"No. They don't have too. You can still be that Broadway star." He looked over and saw the tears building in her eyes. "How many times did you _beg_ dad that trip to go see it again?"

She looked up at her brother. "Hundreds." She let out a little laugh, a small smile coming across her face.

"Then you wanted a themed birthday party that year." Finn shook his head, smiling. "You even performed on the small stage Daddy built for you. Then we had karaoke competition, and when we tried to vote, you said you atomically took first, just because you were the birthday girl." Finn hesitated to push the play button, waiting for his sister to answer to the memory.

"Was that year you threw cake in my face? And smeared it all over my pretty pink dress? I was so mad at you." Rachel shook her head, she never really forgave Finn for that stunt.

Finn laughed, "Yeah, it was. But you got me back when you threw that strawberry sundae on me, when I was wearing my favorite white polo." The two laughed, sharing memories that they remembered from their childhood. "Ready to start the movie?"

Rachel shook her head, "No." Finn raised his eyebrows in question. "I don't have my usual popcorn with extra butter and salt and Coke."

"I think I can get that for you." Finn stood and went to the kitchen to whip up what his sister asked for. A few minutes later, he walked back with a large bowl of popcorn and two cans of Coke. "Ready now?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes I am." Both Finn and Rachel quieted as the opening scene began.

As Rachel watched the movie, she remembered how much she wanted to be on Broadway. How much she wanted to be in the spotlight. How much she wanted to be singing. How much she wanted to be Maria. As Rachel watched and remembered, she became sad. Sad because she remembered how much she wanted to be on Broadway. Sad because she remembered how much she wanted the spotlight, the singing, the starring role. As Rachel became sad, she let a tear slip down her cheek.

Finn looked over at Rachel and saw the tear fall from her eye. He frowned a little and pulled her into his side gently. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back while she cried. He felt bad for making his little sister cry. All he wanted to do was make her smile again.

"I...it's over Finn. I can't be a star anymore." Rachel wailed into her brother's chest. He just held her tighter and rocked her like a little kid.

"Sure you can Rach. You can do anything you want. You're amazing."

She shook her head. "No, I can't. I can't be around all those strange people I don't know. I'd be too scared."

Finn decided to leave the issue where it was. Pushing her would only make it worse, and she would lock herself in her room again. As they were watching the movie more, Finn saw Rachel get sadder. He didn't know what to do to stop her from crying more. He sighed and quietly spoke. "Ya know Rach, it might just be my opinion but Puck would make a good Tony. Don't you think so?"

Rachel looked at the screen and studied the character. "Yeah, he really would." Rachel smiled a little bit to herself and her eyes grew lighter again at the thought of Puck.

Finn watched the way his little sister's demeanor changed once he mentioned his best friend. "So, speaking of Puck," he paused for a moment to gauge her reaction, "Why have you been ignoring him lately?"

Rachel tensed at the thought of the conversation she heard between Finn and Puck. "No reason," she mumbled. "It's not important." With that, she pulled away from Finn, putting her concentration back to the movie.

Finn sighed, he was hoping to get somewhere with Rachel. He knew Puck had been in a horrible mood since that fateful night. "Come on Rach. There has to be something bothering you."

Rachel shook her head, afraid that if she opened her mouth she would begin to cry. She sat tensed waiting for the movie to end, and as soon as it did, she bolted from the room.

**…***...*****

Puck stood in the kitchen waiting for the oven to go off, his cupcakes were almost done. He was hoping maybe the smell of them would bring Rachel out, instead Pixie trotted in, sitting by his feet. "We fly high, no lie, you know this. _Ballin'._" Pixie cocked her head to the side at the sound of Puck's singing. Puck danced to the song playing in his head; Pixie growled lowly watching him.

At the sound of Pixie's growl, Puck stopped and turned to the small dog. "Don't growl, I'm awesome. You know it, don't lie." Puck moved around the kitchen, pulling ingredients out for the icing. Pixie just sat by his feet, watching him, whining or growling at him.

Finn walked into the apartment a little earlier than normal. He could smell something sweet baking, thinking maybe Rachel was in the kitchen, he walked over to the door and instead was greeted with Puck singing. "I make them good girls go bad. I know your type, your daddies little girl. Just take a bite, let me shake up your world. 'Cause just one night couldn't be so wrong I'm gonna make you lose control. She was so shy, till I drove her wild..."

Both Finn and Pixie just stared at Puck, "No, just no. Stop. This is just embarrassing. Please, I need to burn these images from my head." Finn shook his head, showing it was too much to handle.

"What? I can't dance? Last I checked it was a free country." Puck said, "Besides, I'm a badass, I can do this shit."

Finn turned on his heel and walked out. Mumbling, "He makes my sister go bad, I'll kill him..." Puck smirked and continued to work on his icing.

An hour later, the cupcakes were finished and dishes washed. Puck sat on the couch ready to watch a little ESPN, when Pixie waltzed in, jumping up on Puck's lap, changing the channel to MTV's Jersey Shore. "Oh hell no," Pixie whined, looking up at Puck who changed it back to ESPN. Pixie continued to look at Puck, whining, when he didn't pay her the attention she was looking for, she stepped off his lap, laying on the remote, and changing the channel. "Are you kidding me, stop!" Pixie growled as she plopped back down on the opposite end of the couch. "Fucking grr to you too!" He sighed, throwing his head back.

Rachel walked into the living room, seeing that Puck was watching Jersey Shore. "You watch this?" She said, picking up the small dog, heading back towards her room.

"What? No! Pixie changed the channel!" Puck yelled as he watched Rachel walk away.

"Sure she did." Puck heard the door click close, groaning, he changed the channel back to ESPN.

**…***...*****

Finn was sitting on the couch, sipping his coffee, watching old Saturday morning cartoons. He laughed the show Cat Dog; he usually never watched these anymore, but he couldn't resist. He was the only one up. Finn jumped at the sound of a knock on the door, glancing at the clock he saw it was only eight in the morning. He shook his head and stood to answer it.

When he saw who was on the other side, he thought he was seeing things. Pulling it open, he tried to speak as quietly as he could. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Dave shifted nervously on his feet, "I'm sorry, I know you said never to come around again, but I can't get your sister off my conscience. I need to apologize."

Finn saw the worn, tired look on Dave's face and knew he was being serious. He sighed, moving to let him in. "She's going to hate me..." Finn mumbled.

"I know, but I need her to know I'm sorry." Dave sat down on the couch; his elbows placed on his knees, head in his hands.

"Oh, _I _understand, it's Puck you have to worry about." Finn shook his head, he knew this was going to be one rough morning. "Wanna cup of coffee?" Dave nodded his head and followed Finn into the kitchen.

Pixie whined at the door, scratching it lightly; Rachel stood from the bed, moving to the door. Once Pixie was out, Rachel followed her. She knew she heard two guys talking, she assumed Puck was up. When she saw who was standing in the kitchen, she turned on a dime and tried to run back to her room but slammed into something hard. She felt an arm come around her waist, keeping her from falling. Rachel took a deep breath before looking up at Puck.

He smiled slightly, "Jeez, where are you going?" Puck really looked at her, seeing the fear etched into her face. "What's wrong? What's going on?" Puck held her a little closer.

Rachel swallowed, trying to compose herself. "D-d-dave..." Puck felt his anger grow, dropping his hold on Rachel, stepping around her, planning to go see why Dave was even here. Just as Puck was stepping away, he felt a small hand grasp his wrist. "P-please stay." When he looked down at her she had unshed tears brimming her wide brown eyes. He looked between the living room and Rachel a few times before sliding his hand into hers and following her into the bedroom.

Once she shut her door, he dropped her hand and watched her head to the bed, sitting down. Puck began to pace in front of the door, he was upset and confused. _Why was Dave here? I told him to stay away. Finn told him to stay away. Why did I agree to come in here with her again? Right, she was about to cry, how can I say no to that? But she has been ignoring me for a while now..._ Puck snapped out of his musings and stopped his pacing. "Why have you been ignoring me?"

Rachel's eyes grew, "Uh, I-I-I don't..."

"Rachel doesn't lie to _me_. Just tell me." Puck walked over to her, standing a little closer.

Rachel avoided eye contact. "It's stupid..." She whispered.

"Nothing can be stupid, just tell me! I want to fix this...I want to be able to help you." He knelled down in front of her.

"It's just, last month when you were arguing with Finn..." Rachel took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_, she thought. "He said you were falling for me, and you said that you weren't..." Rachel was cut off by a loud knock to the door.

"Fuck," Puck muttered under his breath. "Yeah?" Puck couldn't break the eye contact he had with Rachel, but the door opened.

Finn looked between the two of them, "Uh, Rachel, someone's here to see you."

Puck looked over his shoulder at Finn, "Who?"

"Dave..."

"Fuck no, are you being serious? After what happened last month?" Puck stood from his spot in front of Rachel and moved towards Finn.

Dave appeared behind Finn, "Please Puck, give me a chance. Hear me out."

Puck clenched his fist that sat at his side. "I guess, but make one wrong move, I swear..."

"I get it Puck." Dave looked over Finn and Puck, to Rachel. "Look I'm sorry Rachel. For everything. I assumed before I asked. I'm usually not like that, but my high school attitude came out, and I'm sorry. I should have walked away, I should have properly introduced myself, I shouldn't have called you any names and if I could turn back the clock and re-do that day, I would take it all back. Please, accept my apology so we can start over." Dave watched as Rachel thought over what he said. Puck still stood protectively in front of her.

Rachel could see the sincerity in Dave's eyes. She could hear the truth in his words, she may not be able to fully trust Dave yet, but if he could start over maybe he could earn it, then Rachel wouldn't have to feel so guilty about Puck and Finn losing a friend. Rachel stood and slowly walked over to Dave, she watched Puck grow tense but allowed her to walk in front of him. "Hi Dave, I'm Rachel, Finn's sister." Rachel held out her hand.

Dave let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, feeling the weight of the world come off his shoulders. Realizing this was Rachel's way of saying she accepted the apology, he took her hand, feeling her tense up. "Hi, Rachel, great to meet you."

Puck watched as Rachel took Dave's hand. He felt his stomach twist in an unknown emotion. He wanted so badly to be happy for Rachel but he really couldn't. He still didn't know exactly why she was ignoring him. He stepped around the others and walked back into his room. He thought back to the argument he and Finn had and realization hit him. He had said that it wasn't about love and she took it the wrong way. She thought that he would never love her, but he had meant she needed to get better before they could move onto anything like that. She was still broken, and he still knew very little details about her past. Sighing, Puck sat down in his desk chair, pulling out his guitar. He started strumming a song that just popped into his head.

When Puck left, Dave noticed the look in his eyes. Slipping out of Rachel's room, he walked over to Pucks room and knocked on the door. "Dude, you okay?" Dave asked nervously.

Puck looked up and glared at him. "Yeah, dude, fucking great." Puck rolled his eyes at Dave. "How do you _think_ I'm doing?"

Dave walked in the room hesitantly. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened before with Rachel. Really." He sighed and looked down at the floor, a little uncomfortable with all the apologizing he was doing.

"Don't worry. That's not what this is about." Puck said, not meeting Dave's eyes and still strumming on the guitar.

"Then what is the problem?" Dave was truly confused with why Puck was acting like this.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. Look, no matter what you are one of my friends. You always will be. I've known you as long as I've known Finn. Tell me what's wrong." Dave was befuddled with why Puck was acting like a jealous teenage girl..._Wait a minute..._ "Puck, I'm not going to take her from you if that's what you're worried about."

Puck looked up and stopped strumming, just staring at Dave with his mouth open. He couldn't wrap his mind around how he figured it out. "What are you talking about?" Puck tried to play it off as Dave was wrong.

"I saw the look in your eyes when she shook my hand. I know I can be an asshole, but it's obvious to everyone how much she means to you. Besides, she's more like a little sister." Dave shrugged. "I'll talk to you later man," Dave stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets, walking out of Puck's room.

"See ya man." Puck shook his head, but he still had a lot on his mind. As he thought about what happened over the last month, he picked back up on strumming his guitar. Pixie came running in, stopping at Puck's feet, listening to him play.

Rachel said bye to Dave in the living room before heading back to her room. She heard Puck strumming on the guitar, she stopped outside of his room, making sure he couldn't see her. Just as she was about to leave, he started singing.

_Little change of the heart_  
_Little light in the dark_  
_Little hope that you just might find_  
_Your way up out of here_  
_'Cause you've been hiding for days_  
_Wasted and wasting away_  
_But I got a little hope today_  
_You'll face your fears_

Rachel couldn't stop herself from moving in her spot to his doorway. She watched as Puck lost himself in the music, she also noticed Pixie at his feet.

_Yeah, I know it's not easy_  
_I know that it's hard_  
_Follow the lights to the city_

_Get up and go_  
_Take a chance and be strong_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_Don't look back; just go_  
_Take a breath, move on_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_You could spend your whole life holding on_

Puck saw Rachel out the corner of his eye, he didn't even realize the meaning behind the song he was playing until he started to strum and the words flew.

_Believe the tunnel can end_  
_Believe your body can mend_  
_Yeah, I know you can make it through_  
_'Cause I believe in you_  
_So let's go put up a fight_  
_Let's go make everything all right_  
_Go on take a shot_  
_Go give it all you got_

_Oh, yeah, I know it's not easy_  
_I know that it's hard_  
_No, it's not always pretty_

Rachel moved from the door way to inside Puck's room, taking a seat on his bed. She was becoming lost in the emotion that was in Puck's voice. Not only the strength he gave off, but protectiveness.

_Get up and go_  
_Take a chance and be strong_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_Don't look back; just go_  
_Take a breath, move on_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_You could spend your whole life holding on_

_Don't wanna wake up to the telephone ring_  
_Are you sitting down?_  
_I need to tell you something_  
_Enough is enough_  
_You can stop waiting to breathe_  
_And don't wait up for me_

Puck watched Rachel as she sat on the bed, watching him play. He watched the different emotions play out on her face, a single tear running down her cheek. The sudden urge for him to take her in his arms took him by surprise.

_Get up and go_  
_Take a chance and be strong_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_Don't look back; just go_  
_Take a breath, move on_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_

_Get up and go_  
_Take a chance and be strong_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_Don't look back; just go_  
_Take a breath, move on_  
_Or you could spend your whole life holding on_  
_You could spend your whole life holding on_  
_Don't spend your whole life holding on_

Puck slowly brought the song to an end, watching Rachel carefully. When she stood and started to move towards him, Puck put his guitar back on its stand; waiting to see what Rachel's move was. "I'm sorry." She whispered, stopping only three feet away from him.

"For what?" Puck looked up at Rachel.

Rachel moved a little closer, "I should have never pulled away from you. Can I tell you something about me?" Rachel asked, feeling herself start to tear up. She knew that after this, he could decide that she was too messed up, not worth anything to anyone. "After this, I would understand if you didn't want to be friends or whatever..." Rachel avoided eye contact.

Puck stood, closing the gap between them, Rachel's arms atomically coming around him in a tight hug. "You can tell me anything you need to. And I'll always understand, and I'll always be a friend or whatever..." Puck brought his arms around her shoulders, holding her impossibly close. "Wanna sit down?" Rachel nodded and let Puck move them to the edge of the bed.

"Did anyone tell you anything about my past? About what happened?" Rachel asked quietly, avoiding all eye contact.

Puck nodded, "Finn did, but there were no details just that you were attacked..."

Rachel looked up at Puck, taking a deep breath, "What Dave said to me in the hallway, it brought back painful memories of that night. Right before... Right before I passed out, _he_ called me that. He-he-he told me nobody would want me...then-then..."

Puck gathered a sobbing Rachel into his arms. "Shh, take a deep breath. Shh, you are not that." He rubbed her back slowly, "There are plenty of people who want you in their lives." _Me. _He thought to himself. He knew Rachel was only trying to explain herself, but she really didn't need to. "Rach, shhh, everything's okay."

Rachel sniffled, looking up at Puck. "Promise?"

Puck knew making a promise would mean a lot more to her than him, but if she needed a promise made, then he could make a promise for her. "Promise," Puck held her a little closer, still rubbing her back.

**…***...*****

Finn heard Rachel _finally _talking to Puck again, with a sigh of relief he walked to the living room, picking up the apartment phone. Dialing the familiar number, and waiting for someone to pick it up.

"Hello?" The man answered, sounding out of breath.

"Dad? Hey, everything okay?" Finn took a seat on the couch.

"Oh, hello Finn, everything's wonderful. Your father and I were raking the leaves and closing up the pool. I didn't take the phone out with us. Is everything okay there? How's Rachel?" Finn could hear his dad banging around in the kitchen.

"Yeah, everything's okay. Rachel is doing okay."

"Is she...you know any better than she was here?"

"Yeah, she um, she let Puck in. She lets him hold her, and she'll willing talk to him. I think maybe he'll help her move on. And she made a new friend."

"Oh, Puck? Really? Interesting, but I'm happy to hear that, if he can help her, then I can't wait to come visit and see some of my old Rachel back, hopefully. Who's her new friend?"

Finn, sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "She actually made a friend with a guy. His name is Dave. They got off on the wrong foot, but everything is okay now, and she's comfortable with him being in the same room."

It was quiet for a few moments before he finally spoke. "I can't believe it. I'm so happy right now. She's doing so much better there. Just don't tell her what's going on back here. She doesn't need to know right now."

"I know dad, I don't plan on telling her anytime soon. Only Quinn knows." Finn could feel the tension resting in his shoulders.

"And Puck shouldn't know either. He shouldn't have to keep secrets from her."

"Dad, I know. I should go, tell daddy I said hi, and I love you both, talk soon?"

"Of course, give Rachel our love." They said their good bye's before hanging up. Finn dropped the phone to his lap and with a sigh, he dropped his head into his hands.

**A/N: Thoughts? Questions? **

**Did anyone realize Finn's a Berry and he calls one of his father's daddy? I****t always makes me giggle when I think about it. **


	10. Chapter Nine

**Broken**

**Chapter 9-What If I Just Need Some Help?**

****A/N: This was another chapter that I really loved when I wrote it. I did TONS of research on Kosher restaurants in New York, and tried to find the fanciest one. I don't know if this place still exists, but when I wrote this chapter, it was very real. ********Also, sorry its taken a bit to get some of these chapters up...I was trying to find a missing kitty for the last week. He's home now, he's safe, and we're all happy. Now, let's get back to Puck and Rachel!****

"Rachel?" Puck continued to rub her back, thinking about what she confided to him only minutes before.

"Yeah?" She felt his grip tighten. She couldn't admit to anyone that in one month, she grew attached to a man, especially when this man provided her comfort, even when they weren't talking.

Puck braced himself, he didn't know whether the question would make her pull away or not. "What we're trying to say earlier? Before Dave came in." Puck felt Rachel tense, "I mean..."

"No, it's okay, I was just confused?" Rachel tried to hide her face in Puck's chest, but he pulled away slightly.

_Confused? What the hell is she confused about? _Puck thought about events leading up to them not talking. Then he remembered this morning's original conversation. "Rachel, please finish telling me what you were talking about. I know it has something to do with Finn and me fighting..." He trailed off, really trying to figure what she had been saying.

Rachel tried once again to bury her head in his chest. "It was nothing..."

"Obviously it wasn't nothing, please, tell me?" Puck begged.

"Maybe I should just go..." Rachel went to stand up, to move off his lap and to take her leave.

"Damn it Rachel! Are just going to walk away every time I want to have a serious talk with you? How is anything supposed to work out if you won't open up to me? Just tell me Rachel! What were you trying to say earlier?" Puck heaved for breath, by this time Rachel was pacing in front of the door, biting her lip and wringing her hands.

How could she tell him, last time she was a little more confident, she had nothing to lose but now? Now he was still willing to be a friend, how could she destroy that? "Most you really know?" Rachel stopped to glance at him, he nodded sharply. "Ugh! Why must you know?" Rachel turned around, "Don't answer that..." Puck gazed at her questionably but nodded anyways. "I..." Rachel took a deep breath and started to pace again, her nerves eating away at her. "I...was scared." She watches as Puck's eyebrows knit together. He opens his mouth to say something, but she stops him. "I've...never really had a friend before. Well I did... His name was Noé and besides Quinn, he was my only friend, well I had Kurt but...at first he wasn't so nice." Rachel grimaced at the thought of how Kurt acted before everything happened. "Anyways, you remind me a lot of him, but I pushed him away when Jesse told me to, because he didn't like him..."

Puck was confused, "Who's Jesse?"

Rachel swallowed nervously, and with an unsteady voice, answered Puck. "Jesse was my _boyfriend_ at the time. Noé started to notice changes, and he would constantly ask me what was going on but I would ignore him...like Jesse asked me too." Rachel shook her head, she was still so mad that she let _him_ push her around, but at the time she didn't know what else to do. "But on one particular day, Noé got into his top school so, I did what a supportive friend would do..."

**Flashback begins **

_Rachel was walking to class with her best friend Noé, they'd known each other for ages. He was her only friend besides Quinn, and her brother but Finn didn't count. They were laughing and joking when Noé looked at her and said that he was going to one of the top colleges in California. Rachel was so happy for him that she couldn't contain herself. She jumped on him and hugged him. She was laughing and planning their celebratory dinner, not even thinking about her boyfriend and the fact that he was right around the corner watching everything._

_"Baby, what were you doing hugging him? I don't trust him." Jesse was pissed that Rachel was hugging someone else and the fact she might leave him._

_"_Nothing_, he's my best friend Jesse. He got into his dream school, he has a full ride scholarship. I was happy for him. Sorry." Rachel said, looking down at the ground._

_Jesse just saw red, thinking she was lying. "Do NOT lie to me Rachel Barbara Berry! You'll be a slut for anyone else, but when it comes to me, you act like a prude." Jesse scoffed and pushed Rachel before walking away._

_Rachel cried a little bit when she fell, not realizing anyone was still there. Noé ran up behind her, concerned. "Rachel, are you okay?" Noé helped her up._

_"Yeah, Noé, I'm fine." Rachel brushed off her pants and looked at him._

_"You don't look fine. How long has this been happening Rachel? Does Finn know? Do your dads know?"_

_"Not long, and no, no one knows, besides you. Please don't tell anyone." Rachel looked up at Noé with tears in her eyes. "Please Noé?"_

_Noé sighed a little and looked at her, "Fine Rachel, I guess. But if it happens again, I'm telling Finn, okay?"_

_Rachel nodded her head and wrapped her arm around Noé's waist walking towards their next class._

**Flashback Ends**

Puck was tense as he listened to Rachel tell him about her only other "friend", his hands were balled into fist when Rachel finally finished. "He saw and didn't do anything? He watched you get pushed and verbally abused and did _shit_! What kind of friend is that?" Puck said threw a clenched jaw.

Rachel stopped mid step and looked over at Puck, who was beat red with anger. "Noah, I asked him not to say anything. I didn't want to be in more trouble with Jesse..."

"If I was there...I would have beaten the shit out of _Jesse_ for talking to you like that, never mind the shoving! What the fuck? This kid didn't deserve a best _friend _title. Does he still talk to you? Was he there for you when _Jesse_ finally snapped?"

Rachel's eyes went wide with terror as she listened to Puck talk with such anger in his voice. "Please...stop. You're scaring me." Rachel felt a few tears slide down her face, she choked back a sob. "No, I cut off connection with him after everything happened. I'm sure he doesn't even notice..." Rachel wiped the tears from her cheeks. "So, I was scared that once you found out everything about me, you would stop talking to me..."

Puck's eyebrows rose, he didn't believe a word she was saying. "Cut the crap Berry. You started this morning with something about the argument Finn and I had almost over a month ago. How 'bout we pick up there."

Rachel looked at him, and was about to continue were she left off but thought better, talking a deep breath she looked towards the floor. "This morning..." Rachel sighed and moved a little closer to the door, she knew he wouldn't want to see her after this. "...I was saying this morning, how," Rachel gulped nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt, mumbling out the next part. "Finn said you were falling for me and you said it wasn't about love and I was scared that you would never want me like that because I was too broken..." She got it out in one breath, flinching when the silence stretched between them.

Puck sat frozen in shock. He remembered exactly what he said in the heat of the argument. At the time, yeah, it was the truth, he didn't want whatever they had be love, but now? He can tell you, he was pretty sure he could tell you he was lying. The way he felt when she only said two worded answer's made him fell horrible, when she wouldn't look at him, made his chest ache. He went out that Friday night to rid his thoughts of her, but even then, she was always in the back of his mind. When he realized he hadn't said anything, he cleared his throat and looked up at Rachel, locking eyes with her.

"I'm sorry. I never meant it like that. I didn't know of the situation, I didn't know anything and when Finn brought it up, he took me off guard. I had only known you for a few days, I didn't want to scare you with what I could be possibly feeling but I did feel protective of you, I still do. Do I like you?" He smirked, "Hell yes. Do we have things we need to work through?" His smirk fell off his lips, nodding grimly. "Yeah, a lot. We might argue, we might want to kill each other at times, we might not talk for a night or two but let's never do this month without speaking thing again, okay?" Rachel narrowed her eyes at him, not sure where this was going. "Come here." He motioned for her to join him on the bed. Rachel slowly nodded and walked over to him, sitting close. Puck smiled, taking her hands in his. "I'll never be like either of those guys, I'll be a true best friend, someone you can look for when you need to be comforted, someone you can talk to you whenever you need to talk, I can be someone to sing to you when you're sad. I'll protect you from any jackass that tries to harm you, you'll be safe with me, I promise. I refuse to treat you like you're fragile, so if I yell and get upset, let me cool off; take everything with a grain salt, because I could never hurt you." Puck reached out, wiping a few tears off Rachel's cheek. "I know this is going to be a long and difficult road, but let's do it together. I know this all seems crazy, and you're probably scared, but maybe..." Puck intertwined their hands, "We can even heal your heart in the process." Puck smirked, but saw the fear in Rachel's eyes.

Rachel felt her heart beating faster and faster as she processed all of Puck's words. She was still unsure of what this all meant. "Wh-what do you mean?" She loosened the hold she had on Puck's hand but he kept his grip.

Puck sighed, "Look at me Rachel. I mean, let me take you out," Puck saw her eyes widen at those thoughts but he pushed through his sentence. "On a date, Sunday, we'll have lunch and do whatever you would like to do. How does that sound?" Puck watched as a smile grew on her face, but he received his answer when she let go of his hand, throwing her arms around his neck. Puck let out a small laugh, smiling himself, "I'll take that as a yes."

Rachel nodded into the crook of his neck, a huge smile on her lips. She pulled back to look into his eyes, "You really mean it? I mean going out with someone like me?"

Puck saw the insecurity written all over her face. "Of course I really mean it, why would I say something like that just to say something? That would be rude...unless you don't want to go out. I mean, I guess it would be okay." Puck tried to just shrug it off, but he was truly hoping it would take the opposite effect.

"No, no, I think I want to go out..." Rachel thought for a minute, but when it all came down to it, she knew she would be perfectly safe with Puck. "I want to go out tomorrow night." Rachel mustered up as much conviction she could. She couldn't remember the last time she felt even a little excited for something.

Puck's arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing her to him. "Good, because I want to go out with you too."

They sat in silence for a while, just holding each other, both thinking about tomorrow night, and what it could mean by the end of it all. "Noah?" Rachel was the first to break the silence.

"Yeah Rachel?"

Rachel sighed, relaxing against him a little more. "I want to move on, I want to forget _he _ever existed."

Puck's arms tightened ever so slightly, "I know and you will..."

"Will you help me?"

A small smile played on Puck's lips. "Yeah, I'll be here to help you."

They were still in their own little bubble, thinking about each other and what the future could possibly hold when Finn came in. "Hey, what are you two doing?" Finn looked at Puck and then Rachel, both cuddled into an embrace.

Puck shrugged, "Just talking out some problems."

Finn looked skeptical, glancing at Rachel. "Rachel, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, better actually." Rachel let go of Puck, a smile still stretched across her face.

"What's going on?" Finn looked at the two, very confused as to why all of a sudden Rachel was smiling like Puck had handed her the moon.

"Noah's going to take me out tomorrow night." Rachel said, sounding happier than she had in the last two years.

Finn's eyebrows shut up, his eyes widening, but anger showing through. "Like on a date?"

Puck scoffed, "Of course dude, on a date. I'll take her to dinner, and then whatever she would like to do after that." Puck shrugged, not seeing a problem with this situation.

"Dude! How about you ask me? I am her brother, this is my little sister we're talking about! You can't just ask her out..."

"Last I checked, she was a grown woman and could make her own decisions." Puck argued back.

"Yeah, well she doesn't know you like I know you! You can be crass, and inconsiderate!" Finn seethed.

Puck stood up, "Since we want to talk about her, why don't we ask her!" Puck turned to Rachel, who looked nervous and upset over seeing them fight, again. "Rachel, honestly, do you want to go out with _me_ tomorrow night?"

Rachel's flitted glances between Puck and Finn, she was nervous. No matter what she said, one of them wouldn't be so happy. Biting her bottom lip, she weighed her options; go out with Noah and be happy or stay in with the both of them and have Finn happy but have Puck upset. Swallowing nervously she looked at an angry Finn. "You might not want to me to go out with _Puck_, and I'm not. I'm going to go out tomorrow night with _Noah_." Rachel heard her voice shaking a little, she hasn't stood up to anyone or told anyone what she wanted in a long time, and it felt good.

"You can't be serious?" Finn yelled, not happy that Puck was going to take his sister out, on a _date _no less. _Since when does Puck date? _He asked himself. Finn looked at Rachel once more, hoping she would change her answer.

Rachel adverted Finn's gaze, and very quietly she answered him, "I am serious." With that one answer, Finn turned on his heel, stomping out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Finn knew he needed to cool down before he talked to either one of them again.

Before Rachel could even react to Finn, Puck had swept her back into his arms, hugging her closely.

After a few moments of silence, and Puck thinking of where he could take her, he thought of the perfect place. Of course he would have to make the reservations tomorrow morning. "Hey, for our date, get dressed up, okay?"

"Okay?" Rachel looked up at Puck, "Why?"

"Because I said so." Puck chuckled when Rachel scrunched her face into a scowl. "I know the perfect restaurant that I want to take you to, it's a little on the fancy side, so, dress up. Please?" Puck made his best puppy dog face, his lower lip trembling.

Rachel felt a blush rising on her cheeks, "Okay," Rachel mumbled, hiding her face in Puck's chest.

**…***...*****

When Sunday came around, Rachel was nervous. She hadn't been out on a date in over two years, she had no idea how to act. What if she said the wrong thing? What if she wasn't entertaining enough for him? What if he took her somewhere really nice for dinner? She was running around her room, trying to find something to wear. What did people wear on dates these days?

Quinn snickered as she watched Rachel run around the room. "Rachel, I have the curling iron heating up, and I brought over my make up as well. What are you doing?" Quinn was amused at the way Rachel was acting.

"I have nothing to wear!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Quinn held up a garment bag and a shoe box. "I have you covered, don't you worry. Come on, let's get you ready for this date." Quinn unzipped the garment bag showing a violet purple, halter satin dress. A white, long sleeve cardigan draped over the dress. Quinn hurried Rachel to change into the dress, praising her work; the dress was tight fighting dress, ruched in the middle, falling just above her knees. Quinn took out the white satin, three inch heels with a little bow on the outside of the shoe. As Rachel slipped the shoes on, Quinn pulled out a white clutch to match the shoes and cardigan. "Come on, I need to curl your hair, and put your make up on!" Quinn pulled Rachel into the adjoining bathroom, finishing Rachel's look for the night. Once Quinn was done, she gave Rachel one more look over, "Damn, you look fine." Rachel gave Quinn a thankful smile, she hadn't felt this good in over two years.

**…***...*****

Puck ran a hand over his now very short mohawk, trying to decide which dress shirt to wear with his grey Polo pants, grabbing the black shirt off the hanger buttoning up, except the last three. "Bow tie or no bow tie, that is the question." He said to himself, unaware of Finn standing in the doorway.

"How 'bout no bow tie." Finn laughed, and strolled into his friend's room. "You're serious about this aren't you?"

Puck reached back into the closet pulling out the matching grey blazer. "Yeah, I am."

Finn sighed, "Where are you taking her?"

"A place called, Abigael's on Broadway, it's all kosher..."

"Isn't that place pricey?"

Puck slipped on his black dress shoes before turning to Finn. "Yeah, your point?"

"Oh, um, I don't know. I guess this just makes things a little more serious..."

"What the hell man? You think I would take her to some pizza joint down the road for our first date?"

Finn blanched, "There's more dates after this one? Dude, you don't date!"

Puck sighed, walking over to the bed, taking a seat next to Finn. "I don't know, people change. I've changed, I mean come on, I'm in _college, _I have to grow up at some point."

Finn's face turned serious, "Dude, I swear, anything happens to her, I will kill you. You make her cry, I'll kill you. Break her heart, I'll kill you. Do _anything _to make her the least bit upset, I'll kill you. And god, please remember, no means _no_!"

"Are you done?"

Finn thought for a moment, before frowning, "No. Show her anything, I'll cut it off."

"Okay, okay, gotcha. Damn, you're not even her father...fathers?" Puck thought about his last sentence, "Damn, I have to deal with a big brother, Dave, and _two_ dads?" Puck shook his head, silently adding, _but she is so worth it_.

**…***...*****

Walking into the living room, Rachel had butterflies in her stomach. She paced back and forth for a few minutes worrying that maybe she wasn't ready for this. Her head snapped up when she saw Finn walk in. "Hey Rach, I'm sorry about freaking out yesterday." Finn said, coming towards her to sit on the couch. He grabbed the remote, turning it to a football game. Finn sighed and continued his thought. "It's just, you're my sister, and I _know_ Puck. I was just being a stupid over protective big brother. Can you forgive me?" Finn looked at Rachel and half-smiled.

"Yeah Finn, I think I can." Rachel said quietly, moving to hug her big brother. "And like you said, you _know_ Puck, I know Noah. You know he wouldn't hurt me. He's not like that." _I hope_, she added silently but pushed the thought aside, she had to stay positive.

Finn smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I know, but uh...if he does, I put pepper spray in your clutch thing Quinn bought for you." Finn chuckled a little. He knew Puck was a good guy and would never intentionally hurt his sister. He also knew sometimes Puck didn't think with the right head, and that's not his fault, but with Rach it could be very bad. "You look great tonight, all dressed up." He laughed a little, smiling because someone finally got Rachel to dress up and look more like herself.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Puck walked into the room. The first thing they Rachel noticed was that his mohawk was shorter. Finn looked over at his sister and noticed the smile on her face. "Noah," she said quietly, "you look wonderful." She cautiously walked toward him, stopping a few feet away from him.

Puck swallowed nervously when he saw her. He wanted so desperately to not mess this up. He really liked Rachel and wanted her to be happy. He had been planning a date like this, with her since the first time she let him hold her, sing to her. They were going to go to have dinner, and even though he said whatever she wanted to do, he had a surprise for her.

Puck really _looked_ at Rachel, from the loose curls in her hair, to the light make up applied to her face, the dress she was wearing that hugged every curve of her body just right; he sighed, mumbling a response. "So do you Rachel, beautiful." Puck watched a blush form on Rachel's cheeks when she realized he was staring, smirking when she looked away from him embarrassed. "Ready?"

Rachel nodded, "Just let me get my coat." Rachel turned away from Puck and went to find her coat.

Puck waited until she had the head start before talking to Finn, "Nothing will happen, I'll keep her safe." Finn gave him a short nod, as Puck started towards the closet to get his coat, he called over his shoulder, "Don't wait up!"

**…***...*****

Puck led Rachel into the restaurant by the small of her back, when they came up to the hostess she looked up, smiling seductively at Puck. "Good evening and welcomed to Abigael's on Broadway, how may I help you?"

The blond flirted shamelessly with Puck, he just rolled his eyes and pulled Rachel closer. "I have reservations under Puckerman." Puck noticed how tense Rachel became, and how her eyes were darting around the restaurant nervously. Puck leaned down, whispering her ear, "Your okay Rach, I've got you." She nodded stiffly and tried to relax against her date.

The hostess cleared her throat, "Uh, yes, right this way." The hostess led them back to their table, "Your server will be with you momentarily." She handed them the menus before leaving.

Rachel looked around nervously, she had no way to get out if she needed to, she looked across the table to Puck, who smirked at her before looking back down at the menu. She relaxed slightly, looking at her menu. "Noah is this all..."

"Kosher? Yeah, it is." He smiled brightly at her, "I know that if Finn is Jewish, that must mean you are too." He laughed at her confused expression, "You know, I am Jewish."

Rachel gave a small smile, "You are?"

"I am. So, what sounds good? The Thai sea bass sounds pretty good. Maybe a salad..."

"Hello, my name is Jeff, I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you anything to drink?" Puck looked up to this Jeff guy, his eyes were on Rachel. She was looking uncomfortable and avoiding all eye contact.

Puck cleared his throat, "Hey _Jeff_, I'll have an ice water, Rach?"

"Oh, the same please."

Jeff smirked at Rachel, mistaking her uncomfortable state as shyness, maybe even flirting. "Okay, can I place any appetizers?"

Puck scowled at the server, "Yes you can place the duck and arugula salad for me." When Jeff didn't even look his way as he placed the order, Puck was ready to go off.

"And anything for you miss?" Jeff said sweetly, not wavering his look.

"No, I think I'll just share a few bites from his, is that okay?" Rachel looked up from her menu to Puck.

"Whatever you want babe." Puck smiled at her, but turned serious when he caught Jeff's gaze. "And when you come back, keep your eyes _off my date_."

Jeff swallowed nervously, nodding at Puck, "I'll be right back with those waters."

When Jeff returned with the waters, he kept his eyes trained on Puck, only glancing at Rachel when she ordered her main dish. They kept up small talk as they waited for dinner. Puck learned how Rachel had a love for singing, dancing, and acting. She told him her favorite musicals and her dreams of being on Broadway. He told her about his home town, what position he played in football, his friends that still live back in Rhode Island and his childhood dream of opening a restaurant. But he discovered he loved music more.

Dinner was served, and Rachel found herself smiling and laughing at all of Puck's little jokes. She slowly relaxed into the night and was more than please when Puck ordered dessert and coffee for the both of them. She didn't want the night to end.

"Can I tell you something?" Rachel said as she took another bite of her crème brulee.

Puck smiled, "Of course you can." He looked down at his molten chocolate cake, waiting for Rachel to speak.

"I feel _normal _with you. Like there are no problems for me to worry about. No past that follows me, and I really like it." Rachel said sheepishly, adverting her eyes from Puck.

Puck sat silently stunned, he wasn't sure how to respond to her statement. "I really like when you smile, and if I can make you do that every day, I'll be happy to." Puck waited for her to look up at him, when she did, he was greeted with a shy smile.

Jeff appeared out of nowhere, like he had been doing all night. "Here is your check when you're ready. Have a nice night." Jeff gave Rachel one last look before walking away.

Puck pulled out his wallet, slipping the right amount of cash inside the folder. Rachel watched him, frowning, "Are you sure you don't want me to pay for my half?"

Puck stood, grabbing his coat and putting it on before helping Rachel with hers. "Rachel, it's a date that I asked you on, I'm paying. Now come on, I have a surprise for you." Puck led Rachel through the restaurant and out the front door.

A sleek black car sat at the curb. "Good evening Mr. Puckerman are you ready?"

"Yes we are." The driver opened the door for them, letting them both slide inside.

"Noah, this is too much. Where are we going?"

Puck took her hand in his, squeezing tightly. "Babe, you're safe with me. And it's a surprise." Rachel nodded and let silence come over them. When the car stopped close to Central Park and let them out, Rachel took in her surroundings, making sure she had Puck's hand securely in hers.

When she saw the horse and bugging at the entrance to the park, Rachel gaped. "Noah?" Puck laughed and helped Rachel into the carriage. She saw chocolate dipped strawberries with red roses waiting on the opposite side of her seat. She was smiling like she has never smiled before. No one has ever gone this far for a date for her. "Noah, this is so sweet. Thank you."

Puck sat next to her, draping the blanket across their lap. "You're more than welcome. I wish I had time to plan more for you." Puck placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side.

"No, this is more than enough. I don't mean to push, but how did you afford all this. You're a college student..."

"Rach, don't worry about. My family, well, we're well off. Both my parents work as surgeons in a hospital, and my family was always on the wealthy side. I've got it all under control, trust me." Puck smirked, looking at the scenery around him.

"I do trust you." Rachel whispered, and right there on her carriage ride through Central Park with a man that she found herself liking more and more, who was healing her for the better; leaned up and gave him a simple, lingering kiss.

**A/N: Okay you guys got a fluff-tastic chapter. Next drama will hit the fan! :)**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Broken**

**Chapter 10- Those Three Little Words**

**A/N: I mention in this chapter Westerly again, and then Watch Hill. For all of those who might not know, Westerly is the main town, Watch Hill is on the outskirts of Westerly. Most of the people who live there just consider it Westerly. Watch Hill is just more of the richer part of town. Very nice houses, most with private beach rights, and pretty expensive. ****I think it was this chapter that inspired threats of death and flaming poo. This was another favorite chapter of mine. This one took me a good week to get just right. **

**Here we go...**

Puck was carrying all the little presents he had given Rachel on the carriage ride. The kiss Rachel had given Puck was unexpected but he wasn't going to complain about it at all.

"So, I don't usually do these date things, but I think I've done pretty well and I know for a fact I won't be walking your bedroom door cause you're not going to bed yet, it's still pretty early." Puck smirked and when Rachel looked up at him he leaned down kissing her lips. "Thanks for coming with me tonight. I know I had fun." Puck whispered against her lips.

Rachel smiled brightly, nodding slightly, their faces only centimeters apart. "No Noah, thank you. This is the most fun I've had in...A very long time." The hand that Rachel was holding slipped from her grasp coming up to cradle her face; Puck brushing his lips against hers twice more. Letting go of her face, Puck let his hand slip down her arm and take her hand once more.

"Come one, let's go inside." Puck said, opening the door, letting Rachel in first. She smiled widely up at Puck. "Hey, I can be a gentleman when I want to be." Rachel chuckled, turning back to walk into the room, freezing in her spot when she saw who was in the room. "Hey, what's wrong Rach?" Puck placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down at Rachel.

"Uh, I just, there's..."

Puck looked up towards the living area, seeing Sam and Artie there talking to Quinn and Finn. "Rachel, I'm here, let's just go say hi and I'll walk you to your room." Rachel nodded stiffly, waiting for Puck to lead her through the other room.

Rachel couldn't explain why she was still uncomfortable around other guys but she was getting there. "I think I need to try to say hello..." Rachel whispered.

"Whatever you want to do babe." Puck wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the other room. "What's up douches?"

"Noah!" Rachel looked up at him, mouth a gaped. "Don't say that to your friends!"

"It's all good babe, they know me by now." The three guys nodded their heads in agreement, Quinn just rolled her eyes.

Rachel shrugged off Puck's arm, walking towards Artie, she stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Rachel Berry, I never properly introduced myself." Rachel tried her best to sound light hearted.

"Hi Rachel, I'm Artie Abrahams," He shook her hand lightly.

Rachel gave a small smile, turning towards Sam. "Hi, I'm Rachel, I'm sorry about the last time we met."

"Sam Evans, nice to finally meet you." He shook her hand, giving her a smirk.

Puck watched the scene in front him, he took a minute to realize that Rachel was becoming fast friends with all the guys. This meant if he ever screwed this up, he would have plenty of guys standing in line ready to kick his ass. And there was still two more..._ Fuck my life_. He thought

"I'm heading to my room now, good night everyone." Rachel looked at Puck, who took the hint to follow her. They stopped outside her bedroom door, "Thank you again Noah." Rachel wrapped her arms around Puck's waist, hugging him tightly.

Returning the hug, he placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "No problem. I'll see you next week, same time."

Rachel giggled, "Well, I'm pretty sure you'll see me tomorrow morning at breakfast Noah." Rachel laid her head on his chest.

"True, but Sunday should be our day, you know to go out and just be the two of us. Finn will be at breakfast too, so..."

"Yeah, I get it. So are we..."

"Dating? I think so."

Rachel nodded. "Good night Noah." She slipped from his arms and into her room.

"Night Rach."

**…***...*****

"How Dad? Really please tell me how?" Finn paced in front of Quinn, who sat patiently on the bed. "Fine. Yupp, whatever. You too, bye."

"Babe? What was that all about?" Quinn looked at Finn, concern etching across her features.

Finn's head snapped up, "What was _that_ all about! The fucking douche has always ruined everything. We can't go home for Thanksgiving because of the press. They're everywhere, covering the fucking case! _Damn it_! What am I suppose to tell her?" Finn seethed, hoping that Quinn wouldn't get upset at his lash out.

"The truth, when she gets home from her date with Puck." Quinn sounded calm, her thoughts collected.

Finn thought back on the almost two months that had gone by. Now it was late November, three days till Thanksgiving, Rachel and Puck have been dating now the entire time. Quinn had told Finn how Rachel gushed to her and Kurt about her _boyfriend_, how much fun they had on their Sunday's. No matter what, Sunday's were their day to hang out, just the two of them. And Finn couldn't complain, he was happy with the changes his sister had made in the last three months. She now had a bounce in her step, went out shopping, gaining back all the lost weight, looking more like his sister from high school, before Jesse; her hair was full, shined and now was cut and styled back to her usual long flowing way. She wore make up and went out with Quinn and Kurt by herself. She didn't care if the guy's came over, they all considered her a sister, especially Dave. She still had a little trouble being in large crowds of unknown people and not knowing where the closest exit was.

She still had nightmares. And sometimes frequently, but Puck always ran into the room, calming her down almost instantly. Their bond only grew stronger because of it.

Finn still felt somewhat guilty, he was keeping a huge secret, something that was her life, from her. He loved his sister, and everything they did together now. He honestly almost told her a thousand times, but he was able to stop himself. Every night he felt like crying, he didn't want to keep this from her anymore. He loved his sister...

"Finn?" Rachel appeared in the door way, snapping Finn from his thoughts.

Finn put a smile on and looked up at his sister, who was still all dolled up from her date with Puck. "Hey Rachel, what's up?"

Rachel shifted nervously on her feet, "Do you think dad and daddy would mind if I went with Noah back to Rhode Island for Thanksgiving. I really don't want to be away from him and his mom wants to meet me..."

Finn sighed of relief; Puck had saved his ass, even if he didn't know it. "No, they won't mind. Go, have some fun."

A thought popped into Quinn's mind, "Maybe _we should_ go to. You know, see the sights?"

Finn looked at Quinn's pointed look, and nodded, catching her drift. "Yeah, great idea. Let Puck know for us, please?"

Rachel nodded and headed back to her room where Puck was getting a movie set up for them to watch. Her relationship with this boy was becoming serious, but she didn't want to stop it. They have been going out for almost two months now and couldn't be more perfect. He took her out, sang to her, was there to comfort her, bought her flowers all the time, showed her some great recipes. She smiled, all the time; he could walk into the room, and she would smile. Noah never asked for more than what she would give, which were only a few make out sessions here and there; she made sure his hands never roamed-she just wasn't ready.

When she entered her room, Puck was lounged on her bed in a pair of sweats and an NYU sweatshirt, he had the movie ready to go, popcorn and sodas too. "Hey babe, what'd he say?"

Rachel shrugged, "He said it was fine, they wouldn't mind, but Quinn and Finn are coming..."

"Whatever," Puck shrugged. "As long as I have you there with me," He winked at her before throwing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "If mom didn't insist I come home cause of my sister and her achievements or some shit, I would be staying here. But mom does want to meet you..."

"Noah!" Rachel scolded, "Don't talk about your sister that way! You should be proud." Rachel crossed her arms and gave him a look that said 'do not argue this one'.

"I am babe. Go change so we can watch the movie." Rachel nodded and moved to her bathroom to change into a pair of sweats and one of Puck's t-shirts that she had stolen from him. She crawled under the covers, curling into his side, laying her head on his chest, Rachel drifted off to sleep before the movie could even start.

**…***...*****

"Fuck Finn! You're worse than Rachel! We'll be gone a matter of four days! How many fucking suitcases do you need?" Puck pushed Finn's third suitcase into the car. "We're going to fucking Westerly, Rhode Island! There's nothing special there!" Puck was beyond frustrated with Finn.

Finn sighed. "Quinn and I shared; therefore there is double the amount..."

"Rachel and I only needed one large one and a carry on size. _Damn_, you need to get a _life_!"

"Shut up Puckerman!"

Rachel stepped up and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, "Noah, please be nice to my brother."

Puck looked down at Rachel, kissing the tip of her nose, he reluctantly agreed, "Fine babe, for you though, okay?" Rachel smiled and hoped into the passenger seat of Puck's black SUV. "Alright, are we ready now?" With the chorus of yes', Puck finally got into the driver seat, pulling out onto the busy street of New York; taking Rachel's hand in his, they were three hours away from Rhode Island. Puck hoped he didn't have to stop and to just drive straight through.

And he did, a little over three hours later, Puck pulled into the drive way of his childhood home. It was late, they left New York at eight and it was now quarter after 11. Leaning over, Puck placed several kisses on his sleeping girlfriends face. "Baby, come on, we're here."

Rachel stirred in the seat, turning to face Puck, "I don't want to get up." She whined.

"Fine, I'll carry you, and then come out for the two idiots." Puck chuckled as Rachel nodded furiously. Rolling his eyes, he saw his mom come running out. "Hey ma,"

"Noah! Where's Rachel?" She asked a huge smile on her face.

"Sleeping, I'm just gonna carry her up to my room. Come down for the other two and luggage."

His mom shook her head, "Just worry about getting Rachel upstairs. I'll wake Finn and Quinn, and make sure the luggage gets in." She moved to the back to see how much luggage there was, when she saw the amount, she called for Aaron, Puck's dad. "Go, go upstairs and to bed. I have this under control."

Puck nodded, taking a deep breath of the salty air. "Smells like home..." He muttered under his breath, scooping a still sleeping Rachel into his arms. He said hi to his dad before continuing up the stairs to his old room. When he got the door closed, he placed Rachel on top of the sheets. She had worn a sweat shirt and sweat pants, but he needed to change. Retrieving his and Rachel's bags from his mom, he quickly changed.

Puck smiled down at Rachel, he never thought she'd be in his childhood home, and he liked the sight a little too much. Puck pulled the blankets out from under her, covering her up before getting under them himself. Puck wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, kissing her forehead ever so gently. "Noah," She sighed, moving closer to Puck.

**…***...*****

Thanksgiving dinner was interesting for the bunch. It was the first time Rachel had not been home for Thanksgiving, never mind the fact she was around strangers for the most part. She was sitting between Puck and Finn, staring at her food. Looking over at her, Finn knew why she was hesitant to eat. New people meant more judgments in her mind. To make her feel comfortable he split her food in half on her plate, that way even if she didn't eat a lot it would look like she did.

This was one of the hardest things Rachel had done since testifying against Jesse and Finn could tell. As he ate, he thought back to everything he had witnessed with his sister since that night. He was mad at himself for not being able to protect her, for not being there for her. He was mad that he didn't believe Quinn, that he didn't question anything when she had odd bruises and stopped eating all together. He shrugged it off and kept telling himself if something was wrong, she would have told him. Finn shook his head, breaking away from the sad thoughts and enjoying the food.

Puck also took notice of his girlfriend's hesitant state, taking her hand in his; he leaned to whisper in her ear. "Relax babe," He squeezed her hand before leaning in to kiss her temple. A light and easy conversation stayed a live around the table. Hanna, Puck's mom, made sure to tell embarrassing stories while Aaron, Puck's dad, tried not to laugh at all his wife's innocent stories.

After everyone ate dinner and had pieces of pie on plates, they moved to the living room to watch football. Rachel didn't understand the game at all. Puck, Finn, Quinn and Puck's parents knew this. So when she asked what was happening Puck shook his head and laughed while Quinn told her to watch the guys butts, it was more entertaining.

**…***...*****

It was Friday night and Rachel was at _the _party. A Puck put it, it was the usual gang from around the block. And by gang she meant over 100 people packed into one house. Quinn and Finn had tagged along but went their separate ways at the door.

The bass thumped throughout the house, and Rachel felt out of place. She was in a pair of tight jeans, a pink sparkled tank with a long sleeved grey and black shrug, her usual black flats to finish it off. She let Quinn complete her hair and make-up. Even though everyone was starring at her, she felt okay with Puck's arm tight around her shoulders; Puck was used to this scene, Rachel wasn't.

"Come on babe, let's make our way outside." Puck led her to a porch that looked over the ocean, she wasn't used to the salty smell or the way it tickled her throat but at least outside she was away from the crowd of people. "I'll be right back babe." Puck led her to a chair, making sure she sat down. "I'm going for a drink." Rachel nodded, her heart pounding with the thought of being alone but she didn't want Puck to be upset with her.

Rachel didn't know how long she sat starring out at the ocean, she couldn't tell you. She hadn't seen nor heard from Puck. She bounced her knee impatiently, it was chilly out, and she wanted a bottle of water.

Puck had gone back into the house to find them glasses, intending to fill them up with water so he could go back outside and enjoy the night with his girlfriend.

"Yo Puck! You made it!" Peter, an old time high school friend came out of nowhere. "How have you been? What's going on up at college? Dude, no one has heard from you since this summer. You usually come back in October!" Peter rattled off; Puck could tell he was already drunk.

"Nothing much dude. I didn't want to come back," Puck stated, trying to make his way into the kitchen. If Puck was being honest with everyone, he hasn't been out to a party since that last Friday Rachel was ignoring; well over two months ago.

"Dude," Peter drawled out, "Do you have a _girlfriend_?" Peter made it sound like it was impossible.

Puck just rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I do. I'll talk to you later..."

"Wait, you've got to do the usual shot with the guys. Come on!" Peter grabbed Puck's upper arm and dragged him off to the kitchen where the guys were doing shots of Vodka. "Just one man...you _have_ too." But Puck knew if he had one, there would be another, and another...

When Rachel finally had enough, she thought maybe it would be best she slip out the back yard and try to remember how Puck took her here. As she stood, tears in her eyes, she knew he was in there drinking. If he wanted to drink she wouldn't have come. She hit the top step of the porch when she felt two familiar arms encircle her waist. "Baby, where ya goin'?" Puck slurred behind her.

"I'm going to leave Noah, I'm scared, and I don't want to be here anymore." Puck turned her around and kissed her hard, one of his hands unwrapping from around her waist, tangling in her hair. She stiffened and tried to pull away, with no avail; after a few moments, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "Let go of me..." She whimpered and when Puck pulled back to look at her, confusion in his eyes, she turned and stumbled down the stairs and out the back gate, taking a right, heading towards the lights of Watch Hill.

She knew the boy she left at the part was not her Noah, that was Puck; a very tipsy Puck. She was upset with him. He promised her there would be no drinking. With all her thoughts, she didn't realize how far she traveled, she stood at an intersection; to her left were the store fronts and sandy parking lot-it was well lit with benches under the lamp posts. To her right was a steep hill, and she remembered coming down one earlier but right in front of her was another steep hill, that one dark and looked scary to even think about going up. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't remember how they went, before she was tucked into Puck's side, paying more attention to the beautiful beach and how he suggested before they leave, going for a walk on it at sunset. Rachel cried a little harder thinking about the sweet boy she was with hours ago and how much alcohol had changed him. She decided left, she would sit on a bench and wait, it was better than getting lost in the dark.

Sobs shook her body when she sat down. It was cold and her little wrap wasn't doing much from protecting her against the cold winds. Rachel was scared, felt vulnerable sitting here; she wanted _Noah's_ warm arms wrapped around her, then at least she'd feel safe.

**…***...*****

Puck watched Rachel leave, just the thought of her alone in Watch Hill made him sober up. Just as he put his cup down, a voice reached his ears. "Was that _Rachel_ like, Finn's sister _Rachel_?" Santana sneered.

"Yeah, your point?" Puck slowly made his way down the stairs.

"What was _she_ doing here?" Santana quickly followed him, moving in front of him when they reached the stairs.

Puck starred at her, no way was he wanting to deal with her too. "I think _my girlfriend_ has all right to be with me." He watched Santana's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She was about to say something when he brushed past her, he needed to find Rachel.

He followed the same path as Rachel, when he came to the intersection he knew for a fact Rachel would never travel up a dark hill. He looked to his right, unsure if she remembered that was the way back to his house. Taking a quick glance to his left-and he'll tell you he was happy he did-he saw the petite frame of a girl sitting on one of the benches. With a sigh of relief, he walked towards her.

Even from the distance he was at, he could see her shivering every time a gust of wind came, and he could hear the loud sobs. He took off his jacket, leaving him in a long sleeved shirt, he could deal with the cold temperatures. Carefully approaching the bench, he let himself be known, "Rachel?" She didn't answer, but tensed at the sound of his voice. He slipped the jacket on her shoulders, watching her snuggle into it. "I'm so, so sorry Rachel. I don't know what I was thinking, actually I wasn't thinking." He sat down next to her on the bench; she scooted away, putting more space in between them. That hurt, literally, his chest constricted in such a way it made him gasp. "Rachel? Please, I'm sorry." She still hadn't said a word to him, she was still shivering, but now Puck couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the sobs that were still shaking her small frame.

All Puck wanted to do was take her in his arms, run her back until she stopped crying. He knew he fucked up, he knew there was always a thin line in their physical relationship and he knew when it was too much-he pushed way over that line. He broke his promise to her, he could expect at least one punch from Finn. His chest constricted again when a new wave of tears came.

Rachel didn't want to see him right now. She didn't want to talk to him right now. She was too upset, all this pain was fresh and real, her heart ached. _Noah_ never pushed for kisses or even for anything more. He held her at night, but that was different, that was comforting. Who she saw at the party scared her, made reality come crashing back, she wasn't living in a fantasy, that was who he was in high school.

"Rachel?" She watched Puck's knee bounce, could feel his eyes on her. "Rachel, come on please."

He wasn't sure what to do now. She was upset and she wouldn't talk to him; she shivered at the cold air. "Rachel, please, look at me." He watched as Rachel shivered again from the cold gust of air. Even with his coat on, it was too cold out here for her. "Come on baby, we'll go back to the house, get all warm..." Rachel still ignored his words, looking out over the crashing waves. "Say something..." Puck was desperate at this point, he _needed_ to hear her voice.

Rachel finally spoke, but the words made Puck want to double over in pain, "I hate you."

**A/N: DON'T KILL ME! Please...**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Broken**

**Chapter 11- Wash Away the Pain She's Felt**

Walking back to the house with Rachel, Puck was thinking about what she said to him. _I hate you._ That had to hurt worse than any injury he'd gotten in his entire life. Broken bones he can deal with. A crying girl hating him...not so much. Once they got back to the house, Rachel opened the door and ran up the stairs into Puck's room, slamming the door shut, crying.

Finn didn't look at Puck, he didn't really care what the fuck happened at that point in time. All he cared about was the fact that his baby sister was crying _again_ and he could have prevented it, _again. _He ran up the stairs and into Puck's room. He carefully sat next to Rachel and rubbed her back. "Rach? What's wrong, what happened?" He asked cautiously.

"I. HATE. HIM!" Rachel yelled, sobbing. "I hate him, he's an asshole. I can't believe I ever trusted him Finn..." Rachel sniffled and moved closer to Finn. "Why do I always get hurt? What's wrong with me?" By the end of her mini rant, Rachel was cried out and whispering more than yelling.

"Nothing's wrong with you Rachel." Finn rubbed her back and rocked her back and forth, knowing he wouldn't get an answer out of her tonight. As he was getting up to leave and punch Puck in the face, Rachel tugged on his arm.

"Please, don't leave yet. Can you sing to me?" Rachel looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, Rach. Of course." He sat back down and started singing _Holy Water_ by Big & Rich.

_Somewhere there's a stolen halo_  
_I use to watch her wear it well_  
_Everything would shine wherever she would go_  
_But looking at her now you'd never tell_

Rachel sniffled a little bit and held onto her brother tighter, knowing he would protect her this time.

_Someone ran away with her innocence_  
_A memory she can't get out of her head_  
_I can only imagine what she's feeling_  
_When she's praying_  
_Kneeling at the edge of her bed_

_And she says take me away_  
_then take me farther_  
_Surround me now_  
_And hold, hold, hold me like holy water_  
_Holy water_

_She wants someone to call her angel_  
_Someone to put the light back in her eyes_  
_She's looking through the faces_  
_And unfamiliar places_  
_She needs someone to hear her when she cries_

The only thing she could do was to think about Puck. He really did care about her, but all she could think of was the way he hurt her. How he acted like every other guy out there when he was supposed to be different.

_And she says take me away_  
_then take me farther_  
_Surround me now_  
_And hold, hold, hold me like holy water_  
_Holy water_

_She just needs a little help_  
_To wash away the pain she's felt_  
_She wants to feel the healing hands_  
_Of someone who understands_

_And she says take me away_  
_then take me farther_  
_Surround me now_  
_And hold, hold, hold me_  
_And she says take me away_  
_then take me farther_  
_Surround me now_  
_And hold, hold, hold me like holy water_  
_Holy water _

Finn held her until he knew she was asleep, kissing her forehead gently he pulled the covers over her and shut the door gently.

**…***...*****

"What the _fuck_ did _you_ do?" Finn yelled, barging into the guest bedroom, right across the hall from Puck's actual room. "You were fine when we left you at that damn party, and now she's curled up on _your _bed, crying."

Puck sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, "Dude, I..." Puck shook his head; he was still trying to wrap his mind around Rachel's earlier words. _I hate you_. "Damn it! Why do I always screw things up?" Puck jumped to his feet, pacing the room. "Can you just hit me and get it over with so I can clean up and try _not _to think about what happened tonight."

Finn watched as Puck stood in front of him, completely relaxed waiting for a punch. "Nah man, just tell me what happened, I'm confused."

Puck scoffed, "When _aren't _you confused?" Puck mumbled under his breath but with a sigh, he plopped down on the bed, returning his face to his hands. "I...broke my promise."

Finn sat next to his friend, "What?"

"I told her I wouldn't drink and I did just that...I drank then scared her and now...she _hates_ me." Puck croaked out.

"Scared her...what do you _mean_ you scared her?" Finn asked, trying to keep his anger in check.

"I...I might have kissed her a little too roughly and I crossed that line. I mean, I didn't know what I was doing, or what she was saying but...it's not an excuse and I feel like such an asshole!" Puck looked away from Finn, he was still waiting for Finn to punch him.

"You crossed that line?" Finn asked, his fists clenching and unclenching, "What fucking line did you cross? What did you do to my sister?"Finn asked, angry but also on the verge of tears.

"You know, being a little _handsy_ I guess. She tried to push me away, but...I kept kissing her. She finally got me to let go. I went after her...I swear. I tried to apologize. God, I'm such an asshole." Puck looked up at Finn, tears burning his eyes, "When she said she hated me... God, I still can't get that out of my head. She _hates _me." Puck eyed Finn, watching his fist. "Can you just punch, I know I deserve it. Just hit me." Puck waited for the punch to come, clenching his eyes closed, he welcomed the pain.

Finn clenched his fist, he was being given a free shot, how could he say no? Pulling his arm back, he let it snaps back, punching a suspecting Puck in the jaw. Finn's chest heaved for oxygen, feeling better, less angry after just one punch. What could one more do? Or two? Maybe three?

**…***...*****

Rachel was startled awake by the sound of stumbling? She couldn't pin point it, but it came from across the hall. _Where he's staying_. Rachel thought silently to herself. She didn't want to go back there but he had made her so mad. Puck kissing her like that brought back such painful memories of _that_ night. She didn't want to associate Puck with those. She wanted peaceful, happy memories to come after his name. She sighed and stood out of bed when she heard another loud crash.

Quinn came racing in, "What the hell is going on?"

Rachel shook her head, "I...I don't know."

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Quinn moved across the room, ignoring the loud yells from the room next door. "What's wrong?"

"I...just..." Rachel sighed, feeling the tears run down her cheek.

"Let me guess, Puckerman screwed up? And now you're upset?" Rachel nodded solemnly. Quinn took Rachel by the shoulders, "Look, he screws up, okay. He's not that person every day. People make mistakes Rachel, he still cares about you. Maybe you need to think, and that's fine. But at the end of the weekend you need to look at him and forgive him." Quinn patted Rachel's shoulder before turning and heading across the hall. "What the hell are you...?" Rachel followed Quinn closely behind.

Rachel gaped at the scene before her. Puck was on his back, with Finn straddling his chest, taking repeated swings at his face. By this time Puck was barely conscience. "Noah!" Rachel ran to him, trying to avoid more tears falling. "Finn, get off of Noah!"

Seeing Rachel, Puck tried to push Finn off of him, but with no luck. He didn't want Rachel hurt, he'd already done too much damage for one night.

"Finn, get off of him, _now!_ You're gonna kill him." Only thinking about Puck being hurt and not about herself, she grabbed Finn's arm to try and stop him, not forgetting how much stronger he was than her. Finn didn't even notice the hold she had on his arm, and when he pulled his fist back, he elbowed her in the nose.

Rachel stumbled backwards, hearing Quinn screech and call for Puck's parents. She cradled her nose, feeling the warm liquid dripping onto her hand.

"Oh god, Rachel, I'm so sorry." Finn rushed over to Rachel who was trying to get the bleeding under control.

"What is going on in here?" Aaron ran into the room in his pajamas. "Rachel, what happened? Noah? What _happened_?" Aaron knelt down in front of Rachel, "Let me see Rachel." Rachel carefully moved her hand out of the way, letting Aaron see the damage. "You're lucky, it's not broken. Let's get you to the bed." Rachel just nodded and let Aaron help her up and into the bed, sitting her up.

Hanna ran into the room, ice packs in hand. "I've got the ice packs... Oh god, Noah! What did you do?" Hanna whipped around to face Finn.

"I...uh, I lost it..."

"I can _see_ that! He could have a concussion! Did you ever think of that? Did you know concussion's can kill people? Did you realize he was in the verge of unconsciousness? Did you? Huh?" Aaron grabbed his wife's arm. "Don't stop me now! I'm on a roll!"

Aaron chuckled, "Rachel needs an ice pack."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Hanna ran to Rachel, dropping on the edge of the bed, holding the ice pack gently to the back of her head.

Puck tried to open his eyes. He could hear his mom yelling and something about Rachel... _Shit_! He opened his eyes, but his dad stopped him from getting up. "Let me up! Where's Rachel? Is she okay?" Puck caught the sight of Finn. "You!" Puck pushed his dad out of the way and with everything he had, pushed himself to his feet. Before he could take a step towards him, the room spun and before he could do anything, he felt himself falling.

As he fell though, a small dog came running into the room, barking and growling out of control. When Puck opened his eyes, he saw Pixie backing Finn into a corner, showing all teeth.

"Pixie? What's wrong with you?" Puck was able to get out. Once Pixie was able to hear Puck's voice, it broke her from her trance, running over to him and licking his face. "Oh god, Pixie stop. You know how I feel about you licking my face," Puck watched Finn and Quinn back out of the room. "Ma?" Puck's dad was by his side, helping him stand.

"How's your head feel?" Aaron slipped into his doctor mode, but still fatherly.

"Pounding..."

Hanna held out the other ice pack. "Why'd you let him hit you like that Noah?"

"I deserved it..." Puck avoided looking at Rachel, but still sat cautiously at the end of the bed.

"Noah, how could you have _deserved_ that?" Hanna sat next to him, holding the ice pack, Pixie on the other side, head in his lap.

Aaron had seen the tension between Puck and Rachel so before Hanna could speak, he interrupted. "Come on Han; let's go get some aspirin for Noah and Rachel. They'll both need it." Hanna eyed her husband tentatively before agreeing and following him out of the room.

Puck didn't want her to leave, but he knew it was coming. "Look Rachel, I know it won't mean anything but I am truly sorry for what happened tonight. Really, I don't know what came over me, but I slipped up, I allowed myself to take that one _fucking_ shot and then it was game over then. I wanted more. I'm sorry, I never meant to push you like that, once I realized what I did, I swear I went after you. I can't promise you I won't screw up again, I just...can't. I don't want to break anymore promises." Puck shook his head, "If you can ever forgive me, I'll make it up to you. I'll make sure never to get you mixed up in that crowd again." Puck waited for her to say something, but she didn't. Maybe she didn't want him, maybe she meant what she said, maybe she really did hate him. "Rachel?"

"I didn't mean it." She mumbled quietly. "Well I did. But...I hate the Puck side of you. The one that gets drunk, it's not you. I don't like it...it makes me feel like what I had with _him_. It makes me remember that night..." Rachel trailed off, knowing he would get the point.

Puck could hear the tell tale sign in her voice that tears were coming, so he did what he knew best; he moved to crawl up the bed to where she was. Pixie moved too, not wanting to be too far from either. "God baby, I'm so, so sorry. C'mere." Puck scooted so he was close to her, slowly wrapping his arms around her.

As soon as his arms where secured around her waist, she melted into his chest, tears flowing freely. "Oh god, I didn't mean it! I swear I didn't mean it!" She clutched at his shirt, glancing up at his swollen face, more tears flowed. "Oh, your face, it's so swollen. Noah, why didn't you fight back?"

Puck shrugged, "It doesn't matter babe. Just know I'm so, so sorry. I can't apologize enough."

"I forgive you, just...just don't do it again. You really scared me, and...I don't think I could handle that again."

"I won't, I swear to you. I'll do everything in my power to stop." Puck ran his fingers threw her hair. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, he could possibly think of what could be worse.

"Hold me tonight?" Rachel mumbled sleepily against his chest and if his face wasn't so swollen, he would have the biggest smile stretched across it.

"I'll never let you go." Puck kissed the top of her head, letting her drift into sleep, following shortly after. Pixie was nestled somewhere between them, sleeping soundly.

When Hanna and Aaron returned an hour later, they found the two closely intertwined, and the little dog sleeping right on top of the two. "Young love, it's so sweet." Hanna sighed, leaning against her husband.

"Do you think this is it for him? Like you were for me?" Aaron smiled down at Hanna, kissing the top of her head.

"It best be, I love Rachel. She's so sweet, and yes, I do think this is it for him." Hanna pulled away from him, looking up to meet his eyes. "Have you ever seen him like this? Not even with that Santana girl..." Hanna shuddered at the thought of the Latina.

Aaron chuckled, "I know. No, I think he's in love this time. Come on, let's leave them be. They need sleep," Aaron went to turn off the light.

"Wait," Hanna rushed in, pulling the blanket over the trio, of course this disturbed Pixie, who had to move to the top of the covers. Hanna leaned over and kissed the top of Rachel's head then Puck's before joining her husband. "He is so in love."

**…***...*****

Rachel watched as the snow fell in thick blankets, she couldn't help but think back to the last time she was here. One month ago, she had her first fight with Puck, but they made up within the night. They had returned to New York and fell back into their little routine of dates and late nights of him holding her. She smiled thinking of her sweet nights with Puck, he has held up on his end, he hadn't taken a sip of alcohol since they returned.

"Watcha thinking about babe?" Puck whispered as he wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist, kissing her temple.

"Everything," Rachel said quietly, smiling when Puck kissed her temple, "How far we've come and how far we still have left to go."

Puck nodded his head slightly, looking at Rachel, "Do you mind if we go visit my grandmother tonight? I haven't seen her since I was home over the summer." He said, looking down. What he mumbled next had Rachel laughing, "I am such a bad Jew."

"Noah, you don't have to ask. If you want to visit her, you can. It's perfectly fine." She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Let me get changed, okay?"

"What you're wearing is fine." Puck sighed, but knew he wasn't going to win.

"Noah," Rachel said patronizingly, "I'm in sweatpants and your sweatshirt."

"Yes and your point is..."

"It's not appropriate for meeting your grandmother." She pushed him out of the room, settling the argument and changed into a pair of jeans and winter boots, leaving his sweatshirt on so he wouldn't complain.

Puck saw Rachel walk down the stairs and he smiled, trying to mask how nervous he was about her meeting Nana Puckerman. The only other one to meet her was Santana, and well, Nana didn't like her at all. "Ready to go babe?" Puck asked, shutting down the insane game his head was playing.

Rachel nodded and took his hand, holding it tightly. "More than ready. So, what's your grandmother's name?"

"Miriam." Puck said, trying not to act nervous. He loved his grandmother possibly more than he loved his mother. His grandmother loved him unconditionally, no matter what he did, how bad he screwed up, she would always love him. She never judged him, just listened to his reasoning. Rachel rubbed his back as he led her to his car, helping her into it.

The drive to his grandmothers was quiet. Puck had one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding Rachel's hand. Rachel was rubbing his hand soothingly, smiling at how cute her boyfriend was. "Noah, it will be fine, don't worry."

Puck nodded his head as he pulled into his grandmother's driveway. Her house was huge. He had never let on to Rachel just how much money his family had, but if she couldn't figure out by now then she had mental issues. In a town that the houses were just summer houses, his grandmother's house had heat, making it the perfect place to stay year round.

Rachel was nervous about meeting this woman who was obviously so close to Noah's heart. Walking up the over grown path, Puck took a second to take in the side yard. "I used to play here all the time." Puck shook his head and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, Puck opened the door slowly. "Nana?"

Rachel was led into the strange yet comfortable home. A large fireplace, with furniture surrounded it, many bedrooms lined the wall and even a large kitchen and dining room was in the room. "I'm upstairs Noah." Rachel heard the slight gurgle in the older woman's voice. Rachel knew that it wasn't a good sign. Puck led her into a hall that had a back door and a piano; the stair case was tall, and led to another open area. Another kitchen and bedroom, when Puck brought her to the right, she was greeted with a gorgeous view of the ocean. A woman sat in front of it, rocking in an old chair. "You finally came?" The gurgle was present, even thicker; Rachel gripped Puck's hand and briefly wondered if he knew. "It's about time. You can such a bad Jewish grandson."

"Ouch Nana, I'm sorry. I didn't come back in October and I was busy in November." Puck pulled Rachel into his side. "Nana, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend Rachel. Rachel this is Nana Puckerman."

Rachel reached her hand out, but the older woman hesitated. "Are you Jewish?"

Rachel smiled, "Yes ma'am." The older woman grabbed Rachel's hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Call me Nana," Miriam smiled slightly and Rachel tried to return it but she could see in Miriam's eyes she was holding out for her grandson to get here. "You're beautiful. Noah try to keep a hold on this one, she seems to have done something right. You finally visited me." She laughed quietly, "And you'll have such cute Jewish babies..." She sighed, and pulled her blanket closer.

Noah and Miriam caught up, sharing little stories here and there. Noah told her about their first date and Miriam approved enthusiastically. Miriam told Rachel stories of Noah's childhood and embarrassing stories from the beach and how she taught him how to cook.

"Oh and Nana, do you remember when you finally taught me how to pipe frosting onto cake. You were so happy." Puck laughed at the memory, the mess the kitchen was-it took hours to clean.

"I remember Noah." Miriam laughed before taking her grandson's hand. "I had to make some decisions, and believe me, it scared me. But Noah, when I pass..."

"Nana, don't talk like that." Puck shook his head, but when he felt Rachel's hand on his back, he looked down at her; he could see the sorrow, his brow knitted together.

"Noah, honey, I have to. In my will..."

"Nana, please, no, stop." Puck could feel the tears welling in his eyes. He didn't want to think of his Nana passing away...not yet.

"Noah, you listen to me. When I do pass, in my will, I've left you this house. I want you to take care of it. Raise a family here, I prefer it be with Rachel, even if this is only your summer home. Take care of it for me..." Miriam struggled to take a breath. "...My oxygen is in my room. Please get it for me?" Rachel took the cue and went to get it for her. When she returned, Miriam looked even weaker. "Thank you dear. Noah, I love you, you were always my little angel. Rachel, dear, take care of him for me. He'll need someone to put him in line." She laughed a little but slipped into a light sleep. Rachel nodded as she try to hold in the sob.

Puck looked up to Rachel, both with tears in their eyes. "What do I do?" Puck asked desperatly.

"Accept it Noah, it's her time. She lived a long life." Rachel kissed the top of his head, not knowing what else to do.

"No." He shook his head. "I should have visited more...I...I can't lose her, not yet." He watched as Miriam struggled for breaths. "I love you Nana," He whispered softly. He didn't see her breath, panic setting in, "Nana?" Puck felt Rachel wrap her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. For the first time in years, Puck felt tears run down his cheeks.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Broken**

**Chapter 12- She Talks To Angels**

"Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to remind you that concluding today's procession, there will be a gathering at Chen's restaurant. If you need directions please see me before the cemetery." Edward Dolan Jr., owner of Gaffney and Dolan funeral announced to the large crowd of mourners.

Puck's grip on Rachel's hand tightened as the Rabbi stood up. Puck didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be there when his Nana died, the only good thing that came out of this was he wasn't alone. He never thought that Rachel would one day console him. She has held him every night, not letting go when he cried like a baby. Rachel had stepped up to the plate, taking control over the whole situation. She made the call to hospice, called his parents, called Edward Dolan for body transportation, and when Edward showed up, Rachel was the one to talk and get everything set. Puck was in awe as he watched his girlfriend prepare for the proper Jewish services he never even thought would have to be done. She talked business with Mr. Dolan and just let his family mourn.

Rachel glanced over to see tears forming in the corner of Puck's eyes, she frowned slightly as she leaned over and pecked his cheek. She gently stroked his arm with her free hand, trying to give him as much comfort as she could provide. When he didn't acknowledge her, she knew he was deep in thought; she laid her head on his arm, gripping his hand tightly. She knew she had let the old part of her come back to life, and she knew it would be hard to go back, Puck was changing her whether she was ready or not. Rachel only wanted to make this easy on his family, they had been so kind to accept her for who she was, so she let the leadership in her take over; making the arrangements was the least she could do for them and she planned to cook dinner for them until they left. Which was one thing she _didn't _want to have to explain to Finn; she was staying with Puck until he was ready to leave Westerly, she couldn't leave him, she didn't want to have to think of leaving him to mourn by himself. She felt Puck shift slightly, then the brush of his lips against her head; Puck let go of her hand, bringing it to wrap securely around her shoulder.

Puck felt as if time moved at warp speed, one minute he was listening to the Rabbi talk about the meaning of life and the next he was sitting in the limo with his family, Rachel still at his side. He couldn't stand the tears that constantly came to his eyes when he thought about the summers with his Nana. As they pulled into the cemetery, Puck's grip on Rachel became a death grip, he couldn't let go of her, he was sure if he did, he would crumple to the ground and really act like a baby.

A light snow started to fall as Puck stepped out of the limo, a fresh wave of tears coming to his eyes, cringing when he heard his sister let out a wailing sob. But the funeral pressed on, Rachel pressing her head to his chest. This would be a long week of mourning for the Puckerman family.

**…***…*****

"Okay so when we get on the plane…" Quinn started but was soon interrupted by Rachel

"I'm not coming with you." Rachel stirred the pasta that she just put in the boiling water.

"Wait, what?" Quinn gaped at Rachel.

"I'm not flying out with you, I'll be flying out in 10 days." Rachel stated matter-of-factly as she moved around the kitchen as if it were her own. It had been four days since the funeral and the family was in the traditional seven day mourning period.

"You're staying here with Puck?" Quinn hesitated with her sentence, she wasn't sure how she felt with Rachel staying with Puck for 10 days, not that she didn't like him, but he was Puck.

"Yes, Finn already knows and understands. Noah needs me right now, his family needs me right now, so I'll be staying with them. Now I suggest you take Noah and my first class seats…"

"Wait, why do you have first class? I thought you were in coach with Finn and I." Quinn stood to help Rachel drain all the pasta.

Rachel shrugged, "I don't know, Noah didn't want to ride in coach, he never has. He offered to pay for yours and Finn's but he declined, Noah still bought ours first class." Rachel turned away from Quinn mumbling under her breath, "I'm sure if I _wanted_ to ride coach he would have bought those."

"Well then, here I thought you would be coming with us and Puck would join us later." Quinn stomped her way out of the kitchen, dishes in hand. Quinn's mind flooded with memories of why she was never really friends with Rachel in high school, that is until Quinn started dating Finn and was more or less forced to hang out with her and become friends with her. Quinn set the table, stepping back into the kitchen, Rachel was joined with two others.

"Quinn, this is Mr. and Mrs. Sagaria, they're from down the road, dropping off some dessert." Rachel smiled softly.

The older woman with grey and blond hair spoke softly, "Well, we ought to be goin' now, I just wanted to bring this pie by. It was nice meeting you Rachel." Mrs. Sagaria stepped forward, gently hugging Rachel, "I hope to see you at Temple with Noah soon, and take care of that boy, his Nana was his world." She kissed Rachel's cheek.

Rachel hugged her tightly, "Thank you, it was so nice meeting you. Don't worry I'll take care of him."  
Mr. Sagraria stepped forward to kiss Rachel's cheek and bid her a goodbye, both of them ignoring Quinn, who still stood in the door way. Mrs. Sagaria looked over at the blond, "Have a good day." She quipped, her husband just nodding his head towards her.

Quinn could see that the cross on her neck made her stand out and be branded as non-Jewish, "You too." Quinn mumbled, stepping into the dining room once more.

Rachel watched Quinn disappear into the other room, leaving Rachel to walk the guests out.  
After Rachel had watched the elderly couple make it safely to her car, she walked back into the dining room to find Quinn in a heated argument with Finn. "But Finn, she's staying with him for _ten_ days. Why can't she leave with us? I mean, it's his family _not _hers."

Finn sighed, getting annoyed with his girlfriend very fast. "It's customary Jewish tradition for the family to mourn for seven days and that's what Puck is doing. Rachel is being a _good_ girlfriend and staying with them to make sure they're okay and they don't need anything."

Quinn rolled her eyes and walked away, glaring at Rachel. "Hey Finn," Rachel said nervously to her brother, "Is Quinn okay?"

"Yeah Rach, she's just upset that you're staying with Puck instead of flying out with us. I wish I could stay with him, but I need to go to Lima or else Quinn will get mad at me." Finn looked at Rachel and smiled. "I think it's great you're staying with him, really. That's awesome of you."

"Thanks Finny," Rachel said quietly, looking down, "I think I could love him." She looked up, biting her lip, "Is…is that a bad thing? Should I be able to love someone this soon? Should I be able to love someone in general? What if he doesn't love me?" Rachel asked, making herself panic.

Seeing tears in her eyes, Finn hugged her tightly, "Rachey, if you love him, that's great. It means I'll finally get my crazy ass little sister back. I've missed her. If he doesn't love you I'll kill him, okay?" Finn told her gently, kissing the top of her head.

Rachel nodded against his chest, "Okay. Love you Finny."

"Love you too Rachey." Finn pulled back and looked at his sister, he realized just how small she looked standing next to him. "Now, come on, teach me how to make these cookies of yours." He smiled and led her into the kitchen.

"And see, then you just roll the chocolate covered marshmallow's onto the coconut, like this." Rachel rolled out her Cathedral cookie batter to show Finn how to do it. "Now we wrap it in parchment paper, stick it in the fridge to chill." Rachel carefully wrapped her dough in the paper, moving to put it in the fridge.

"Wait," Finn was mimicking her movements. "We don't cook these?" Rachel shook her head,

"Then what about the egg?" Finn placed his in next to Rachel's.

"No, the chocolate was hot enough to cook the egg." Rachel moved to put the dishes in the dishwasher, this was the first time Finn had ever made the move to learn something of Rachel's favorite activity. She looked at her brother, who was cleaning up the extra coconut. "I want to sing…"

"Really? That's amazing Rachel," Finn turned to look at his sister, his goofy smile spread across his face.

"To Puck, our song, the one you sang to me. Would you mind?"

Finn really looked at Rachel, and when he did, he could see the light shinning there. _Love_, was the only thing that came to his mind. His baby sister was really in love, "Of course I don't, you don't even have to ask, he could probably use it right now." Rachel nodded her lip, still looking conflicted. "You love him Rachel, I can see it." Rachel nodded her head again, running towards Finn, who opened his arms and accepted his sister's embrace. "It's okay Rach. You deserve to be happy, I _want_ you to be happy and Puck is doing that. I couldn't be happier." Rachel nodded, sniffling into her brother's chest.

"Do you really love her?" Before Finn could actually answer her question, his name could be heard around the house. Finn quickly shook his head, Quinn was fastly becoming his number one most disliked person.

"Finn! Rachel's _boyfriend_ swore at me!" Quinn seethed, stomping into the kitchen.

"I don't want to be in the middle of this!" Rachel twisted out of Finn's embrace, "Now what did you say to Noah?"

"Me…?" Quinn looked at Rachel.

"Yes, you usually do something to evoke him swearing." Rachel stated moving to finish packing the dishwasher.

"Well he got all upset over what the cousin said, something about the will and him being the favored one in the family. So, Puck being Puck, stormed upstairs, I ran into him as he was walking in; I asked if he was okay and he nodded but I could see how upset he was. I told him that he needed to move on, his grandmother would want him to, then he said 'fuck you,' and slammed the door." Quinn was upset and thought he honestly shouldn't get away with saying that to her.

Rachel stopped what she was doing to look at Quinn, instinct telling her to go to him. "Well, there you go. Puck's grandmother lives in New York and in his words, is a bitch. His Nana was the one he loved, will always love." Rachel put the last dish in and moved to the doorway, "Now please excuse me, my _boyfriend_ obviously needs me." Rachel ran from the kitchen, going straight to Puck's room. When she stepped into the room, Puck was curled into a ball on the bed. "Oh Noah…" Rachel closed the door, locking it behind her. Her heart broke at the sight of his shaking shoulders, it had killed him to be there when she passed.

Puck heard Rachel come in, and in all honesty, he couldn't muster the strength to get up and meet her eyes. When the bed dipped down next to him, he instinctively rolled over, curling into Rachel's body, his head on her chest; looking for any form of comfort she was willing to give to him. "I…" Puck took a deep breath and tried to get his breathing under control, "Miss…her." He gripped Rachel as tight as he could, afraid she would disappear and he would be alone, with no one to hold him.

Rachel ran her fingers over his scalp, her other resting on his forearm. "Shh, it's okay. I know you miss her, I'd be worried if you didn't." Rachel whispered, a smirk playing on her lips. "It'll be okay… Shh," Rachel tried to soothe him, but she also knew he had to get it all out, it would help him cope with her death.

Puck tried to not cry, but the tighter he held on to her, the tighter she held him back, he felt safe enough to fall apart, only in her arms. She started to softly hum what sounded like a song, Puck sniffled, really trying to get his tears under control, so he could hear what she was doing. Soon the humming turned into actual lyrics.

It's like a storm,  
That cuts a path  
It's breaks your will  
It feels like that.

Rachel gently kissed the top of his head. Rachel took a deep breath, keeping her own tears at bay.

You think your lost  
But you're not lost on your own  
You're not alone  
I will stand by you  
I will help you through  
When you've done all you can do  
If you can't cope  
I will dry your eyes  
I will fight your fight  
I will hold you tight  
And I won't let go

A new wave tears came to Puck's eyes as he listened to the lyrics, listening to her sing.

It hurts my heart  
To see you cry  
I know it's dark  
This part of life  
Oh it finds us all  
And we're too small  
To stop the rain  
Oh but when it rains

Puck gripped her waist even tighter, he couldn't think what he would do without her. He didn't ever want to find out. Rachel had continued to run her fingers over his scalp, making him feel like a little boy who needed the comfort. He wanted to kiss her, but he still wanted to listen to her sing.

I will stand by you  
I will help you through  
When you've done all you can do  
And you can't cope  
I will dry your eyes  
I will fight your fight  
I will hold you tight

And I won't let you fall  
Don't be afraid to fall  
I'm right here to catch you  
I won't let you down  
It won't get you down  
Your gonna make it  
Yea I know you can make it

Rachel felt her own emotion's really coming to the surface. She wanted to cry _for_ him, take some of the pain away. She held on as tight as she could, trying to absorb as much as she could. She would never forget the first time singing again and how it was to the man she couldn't live without.

Cause I will stand by you  
I will help you through  
When you've done all you can do  
And you can't cope  
And I will dry your eyes  
I will fight your fight  
I will hold you tight  
And I won't let go  
Oh I'm gonna hold you  
And I won't let go  
Won't let you go  
No I won't.

Rachel finished with a sniffle, Puck was silent but with his chest rising and falling evenly, she knew he had fallen asleep. Rachel was okay with that, he needed the sleep, he'd been restless for the last few nights. She continued to run her hand across his scalp, hoping that even in sleep she could give him the comfort he needed. "Thank you, that was beautiful. You're beautiful. I love you," Puck's voice startled her, she stopped her ministrations, she only now was thinking about the possibilities of loving the man lying with her.

Rachel leaned down, kissing the top of his head, whispering loud enough for him to hear her clearly, "I love you too." Rachel finally let a tear fall.

Puck could hear the softness in Rachel's voice, and knew she meant it but when the tear fell and hit his head, he sat up. "Babe why the tears?" Puck reached up, wiping the tears off with his thumb.

"Say it again," Rachel smiled softly, leaning into Puck's hand.

Puck laughed, leaning into kiss Rachel's lips gently. "I love _you_, Rachel, and you only. Forever and ever, the rest of time. I love you." He kissed her nose, before lying back down with her.

**…***...*****

Rachel packed the last bag of toiletries for the plane ride to Lima, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Rachel glanced worriedly back at Hanna.

"Of course dear, we'll be just fine, you've done enough for us already." Hanna walked across the room, a small package in her hands. "Here, it's from Aaron and me," Hanna handed Rachel the small box.

Rachel knew instantly it was a jewelry box, she glanced back up at Hanna before opening it. Sitting against the black velvet was an 18K white gold, diamond encrusted Star of David necklace. "Oh, I can't accept this, this is too much!" Rachel gently touched it, wondering what it would look like on.

"No, no its not. You've helped out so much over the past ten days, you deserve it. It's a thank you of sorts," Hanna moved over to where Rachel stood, taking back the box, quickly taking it out and clasping it around Rachel's neck. "See dear, it's gorgeous."

Rachel played with the pendant nervously, "It is, but I'm sure I don't want to know the price on this." Rachel looked in the mirror, watching the light hit the diamonds.

Hanna chuckled, "No, you probably don't but please don't worry about that." As soon as Rachel turned around, Hanna swept her up in a hug. "Please realize you are like a daughter to me," Hanna smiled sadly. "I will miss you so much, you need to take care of each other, promise me?"

"I promise," Rachel felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Puck appeared in the door, "Are you ready? The plane leaves soon." Puck saw that they were having a little moment and almost felt bad for interrupting but they were already behind.

"Of course, here's the last bag." Rachel zipped closed the small bag, walking it to Puck.

Puck caught the shine from the necklace that he helped picked out, he smiled over Rachel towards his mom. "Good, come on babe," Puck pressed a kiss to her temple, walking hand in hand with her down to the waiting car. Once they were seated, the driver closed the door, with one last wave to his parents, they were off to TF Green. "I love you baby," Puck kissed her temple once more.

Rachel smiled brightly, leaning into his side, "I love you too."

**…***...*****

"Baby, it's time to wake up, where about to land." Puck gently shook Rachel awake, trying to sit her up in her own seat, "Come on babe, wakey wakey," Puck laughed at his own stupidity.

"Mmm, no," Rachel mumbled trying to scoot closer to Puck's side.

"No babe, really, you have to wake up now." Puck kissed her cheek, whispering against her cheek, "You can go back to sleep in the car, why do you think I had a driver come to pick us up, I knew you'd do this."

"Shut it Puckerman," She slapped his chest lightly.

"Right, come on," Rachel groaned as Puck sat her up.

"I hate you," Rachel mumbled, fastening her seat belt.

Puck laughed at her attitude, "No, you love me!" Puck leaned over, pecking her lips lightly.

"It's debatable."

"Bullshit! You love me, I love you..."

"What are we five and singing along to Barney?" Rachel quipped.

Puck just shook his head and laughed, "Whatever babe, love you too."

Puck collected their bags from the carousel, walking closely next to Rachel, looking for the sign that would say his name. Finding it, he quickly guided Rachel towards the car.

"Mr. Puckerman?" The driver held out his hand, shaking Puck's, "If you're ready, we have quite the drive to Lima."

"Yes, my sleeping princess and I will get in if you could put the bags away?" The man nodded his head, opening the door for them. Puck helped Rachel into the car before sliding in next to her.

Rachel leaned against his shoulder, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Of course babe, sleep tight. If you're still asleep when we get to Lima, do you just want me to carry you in?" Rachel nodded, snuggling deeper into his chest.

Puck laughed a little bit, he should have known the flight would knock her out. She was asleep before the driver was even in the car.

The driver glanced back at Puck before pulling away, seeing the girl snuggled next to him, in a deep sleep. "She your girlfriend?" The driver asked quietly, not sure how asleep Rachel actually was.

Brushing a piece of hair out of her face, he nodded, "Yeah, she is." Puck kissed Rachel's head, settling in for the long drive.

"Sound in love kid," The driver commented with a smile on his face. He saw a lot of young kids who claimed to be _in love_ and by the next year they had already parted ways. But something was different about these two, they really seemed to have the real deal.

"She's the love of my life," Puck whispered, he felt odd sharing how he felt with someone other than Rachel or his parents.

"Hold onto her." The driver remembered his own mistake in life, letting his true love go, thinking they would be better off without one another, but years down the road, his chest still ached when he thought about her.

"I don't plan to let her go," Puck whispered, letting his eyes droop close. The driver was quiet after that letting the both of them sleep. "Can you wake me up when we're about 20 minutes from Lima?"

"Sure thing." The driver nodded, letting them both get back to sleep.

**…***...*****

The driver did as Puck asked and when they pulled up to the Berry's house late that evening, Puck scooped Rachel up and started towards the house. Puck felt like a pack-mule carrying Rachel and the bags. He laughed a little as Rachel tried to move in his arms, but couldn't due to her fifty ton purse resting on her stomach.

Puck walked up to her dad's front door and knocked, laughing silently at how they must look. Finn answered the door and smiled when he saw them. "Sorry dude, shoulda warned you that she gets really tired on plane rides." Finn said sheepishly, taking a couple of the bags from Puck so he could walk into the house without falling over.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Puck said, looking around the house. It wasn't as big as his but it was still big. Two older men stepped around out from around a corner, and smiled gently at Puck.

"Oh, she's still asleep. I'm Walter," the smaller man held his hand out to Puck before laughing to himself, "Let me show you to Rachel's room, I'm pretty sure her bed will be big enough for the both of you." Puck slowly nodded, following both men up the stairs. "Just lay her down, she'll stay asleep," As soon as he placed her on the bed, she sighed his name and rolled over. "Well then, again, I'm Walter or as the kids call me, I'm daddy." Walter held out his hand and Puck shook it firmly.

It all came together, and Puck had to hold in the laugh that wanted to bubble out. _Finn calls his father daddy... Oh this is going to be a long break! _"Noah Puckerman, nice to meet you sir."

The bigger, taller man stepped forward, "I'm Henry, and it's very nice to meet you."

Puck smiled, "Nice to meet you too, sir...sirs? Mr. Berry's..." Puck's head was confused. He never had to meet _two_ dads before. What the hell was the proper protocol for this situation? He needed a head condom; he was being mind-fucked right now.

Both men laughed loudly, "Just stick to Henry and Walter son," Henry clapped Puck on the back, shaking his head, but a huge smile on his face.

Puck nodded, still thinking how he went from never meeting a father of his girlfriend to meeting two of them in one night. "Daddy," Finn called out. "What kind of pizza am I ordering?" Puck eyes widened, trying not to laugh, again.

"What kind of pizza do you like son?" Henry looked back at Puck.

"Uh, sausage and peppers," Puck looked at the older man, Puck wasn't used to be calling son from anyone other than his own father.

"Okay, well, we'll let you settle in and you can wake Rachel when it gets here." Puck nodded, watching both men walk out, shutting the door behind them.

Puck sat down next to Rachel, just watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, like she didn't have a care in the world, but the dark circles under her eyes told a different story. A story of helping him and his family through the rough time they just went through. A story of staying up holding him at night when she desperately needed sleep. A story of a haunted life he still did not fully know, but knew enough about that made him want to kill people. He didn't know how long he sat there, but the next thing he knew, Finn was knocking on the door.

"Hey, foods here." Finn said quietly, as he opened the door. He saw Puck nod slightly, his eyes still glued on Rachel's sleeping form. Finn could see the concern written across face but he could see the emotions that played out, emotions Finn has never seen before. Finn wanted his best friend to be happy and his sister and if they made each other happy then Finn would be too. Finn quickly thought about what love felt like and wondered how Quinn and he fell out of it. Shaking his head to rid those thoughts, Finn spoke up, "Puck, if you love my sister...that's cool. You make her happy. I want her to be happy."

Puck nodded, not completely comfortable with the conversation knowing Rachel could wake up at any second. When the door quietly shut, Puck put a hand on Rachel's shoulder, shaking it gently, "Babe, dinner is here."

"Mm, no, I wanna sleep..." Rachel mumbled, turning to face away from him.

"Rach, you gotta be hungry, you really haven't had anything since we left Westerly..."

"No. I want to sleep Noah. Now you can either shut up and come join me or go get food. I want to sleep though..." Rachel looked over her shoulder. Puck's head was turned to the side, contemplating to just take of his shoes and pants and crawl into bed with her or to go get pizza.

"I think I'll join you." Puck slipped his shoes off, stood to shut off her light before taking his jeans off and laying down behind Rachel, pulling her against his chest. "I love you Rachel." Puck whispered to her, not sure if she was still awake or is she had already fallen back to sleep.

"I love you too Noah." With a content sigh, they both drifted to sleep, the pizza quickly forgotten.

**…***...*****

The next day, Rachel woke up before Puck, like normal, usually she would go make coffee but today she was just content to watch him sleep. All the worry washed away in slumber, his sadness was not so present. After a few minutes, her stomach growled loudly, loud enough to wake Puck up. "I told we should have eaten last night." Puck laughed, slowly opening his eyes. "Ugh, I need to shower." Puck ran his hand across his face, trying to wake himself.

"Well you shower, and I'll go make coffee and breakfast." Rachel lifted the covers, hopping off the bed and heading towards the door. "Towels are in the closet!" She yelled over her shoulder.

Rachel walked down the stairs with pep in her walk, humming a show tune from West Side Story.

**…***...*****

When Rachel finished with breakfast, Puck still wasn't down stairs. So, she piled the food and coffee onto a platter and walked it up stairs. When she pushed the door open, Puck was sitting on the bed, guitar in his lap, tears in his eyes, strumming a slow song. Rachel closed the door, moving to silently place the platter on her old desk, going to where Puck sat. "Sing it for me," Rachel whispered, rubbing his back softly. Puck shook his head, tears spilling onto his cheeks.

Puck didn't know if he'd make it through the song without crying his eyes out. Not something he wanted to do this morning. But when he stood under the spray of the hot shower, the memory of his Nana singing to him came to the front of his mind. "I...can't." Puck choked out, but Rachel rubbed his back and continued to encourage him to sing, he finally broke down, looking at Rachel he decided he should fill in the gap. "When I was still young, well getting ready to go into high school, I was the only one that would go to visit Nana, she had slipped up and said when she passed I would get most, if not all of the money and houses. But she didn't want me to get too far ahead of myself; she always made sure I was level headed. She sang to me...and I'll never forget it." Puck reached out, grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"Sing it to me, please?" Rachel looked up at him, her brown eyes shining from unshed tears.

Puck nodded, taking a deep breath before strumming the intro quietly. He tried to compose himself as much as he could before singing. He knew the tears would be inevitable.

_Well mama told me, when I was young  
Said sit beside me, my only son  
And listen closely to what I say  
And if you do this, it'll help you some sunny day_

_Ahhh  
Yeah it will_

_Or take your time don't live to fast  
Troubles will come and they will pass  
You'll find a woman and you'll find love  
And don't forget that there's is a someone up above_

Puck took a deep breath, looking over to see the tears on Rachel's cheeks, matching his own. "I love you baby," Puck whispered, continuing to strum, but leaning over and kissing her softly. Puck chuckled to himself, _at least I found love_, Puck thought to himself, throwing all he had into the chorus.

_Be a simple kind of man  
Be a something you love and understand  
Baby be a simple kind of man  
Oh won't you do this for me son if you can  
(if you can)_

_Forget your lust for the rich man's gold  
All that you need now is in your soul  
And you can do this(oh baby)if you try  
All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied_

To say Rachel was proud of her boyfriend would be a complete understatement. She now knew she could never _not_ love this man. She laid her hand on his back, gently rubbing, his tears were now streaming down his face.

_And be a simple kind of man  
Be a something that you love and understand  
Baby be a simple kind of man  
Oh won't you do this for me son if you can  
(if you can)_

_Oh don't you worry  
You'll find yourself  
Follow your heart  
And nothing else  
And you can do this(oh baby)if you try  
All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied_

_And be a simple kind of man  
Oh won't you do this for me son if you can  
So baby be a simple be a simple man  
Oh won't you do this for me son if you can_

When Puck finished his song, Rachel gently took the guitar from his hands, laying it down on the floor. She scooted up so her back was against the head board, motioning for Puck to join her. He crawled up to her, laying his head in her lap, her hand automatically going to his head, running it through his short hair. "Shh Noah, its okay."

Puck choked on a sob, "I…" He took a deep breath, getting the crying under control. "…Miss Pixie." Rachel laughed quietly, kissing the top of his head. "No, really, she always comes up and licks my face…makes me kind of smile."

"Well then, what am I doing here?" Rachel feigned hurt.

Puck kissed her stomach, nuzzling his face into her body, "Loving me."

"Of course I am." Rachel continued to run her fingers through his hair, every now and then, kissing his head gently. They sat in silence for a long while, their breakfast long forgotten. Puck clung to Rachel's waist, letting tears leak out whenever he thought of a particular memory of his Nana. All the times she took him to Ashaway Playground, pushing him on the swings or running through the wooden fort with him, never missing a beat. Or when she bought him his first kite and took him to Ninigret Park to teach him how to fly it. When she taught him how to ride his bike at the age of five, she took him on the bike trails at Ninigret, she carried the first aid kit so when he fell and scraped his knee, there was a bacon band aid and a Nana Puckerman kiss to make it all better. She would also travel to Hope Valley just to get him flavored burst ice cream he loved so much. The one time she actually attempted to teach him how to knit, failed, Puck got the yarn in such a knot it had to be thrown away. Nana Puckerman would make sure he went to the Washington County Fair every year until he turned 13, then she told him he could take her. Wednesday night was dinner date night. He would tell everyone in school he had date, and when they asked who the lucky lady was, Puck would reply, "My Nana." They would all laugh but when he brought left over's the next day, all of the kids would want to try it. Puck would just tell them to fuck off and continue eating. He had countless pictures of him with his Nana, cooking, cleaning, gardening, you name it, he's done it with his Nana. This is why it hurt so much, she was no longer around to do all these things with him; he no longer had his Nana to visit on school breaks, no Nana to bug when he was bored or drive around when she no longer could. When the family said he was the favorite, it was so true and he never once denied it.

When Rachel heard the next broken sob leave his mouth she shushed him and asked, "Do you want me to call the house so you can talk to Pixie?" Puck nodded against her, Rachel just sighed, pulling out her cell phone, dialing the house number and putting it on speaker. Hanna picked up almost immediately.

"Hello Rachel," Hanna said cheerfully. "How's Lima?"

"Hello to you too. Lima's okay but Noah would like to talk to Pixie…" Rachel sighed, she knew this sounded absolutely absurd.

"Um, okay? Is everything okay?" Hanna sounded worried that her son wanted to talk to a dog.

"Everything's fine, he just misses her, I guess. It's too bad Pixie is deathly afraid of that stupid crate or she would have been out here with us." Rachel didn't know why Pixie was so afraid of it but when they attempted to put her in it, she whimpered and whined, throwing up instantly.

"I know, but what can you do? Next time you'll just have to take the private jet out of the Westerly airport. Then she won't have to be in a crate…"

"Wait, you have a private jet?" Rachel interrupted.

"Three," Puck mumbled against her stomach.

"Oh." Was all Rachel could say.

"Let me head to Noah's room, Pixie won't move off that bed." Rachel could hear Hanna move up the stairs, opening what must have been Puck's door.

"I told you the dog loved me." Puck once again mumbled against Rachel's stomach.

Rachel laughed, "I know she does babe."

Hanna told them they were on speaker and were free to talk to Pixie, Puck sat up, taking the phone from Rachel. "Hey Pixie, I'm sorry we had to leave you behind." Pixie let out a soft growl, "Fucking grr to you too!" Rachel laughed, and listened as Puck continued to talk to the dog.

…*****…*****

Several days after their little morning conversation with Pixie, Puck had made an excutive decision. "We're going out tonight." Rachel looked at him puzzled. "Babe, we need to get out, just the two of us. We're either with your dad's or Finn and Quinn or just in here. We need to get out, let's go out for dinner." Puck suggested.

"Well, there's McDonalds. And well, that's it, I never cared for Breadstix's." Rachel looked up from her magazine.

Puck scrunched his eyebrow in confusion, "Breadstix's? Who names a restaurant that?"

Rachel laughed, "And they're not even good. There's bowling or movies." Rachel glanced back at the magazine, "And I prefer not to wear shoes that have been on other people's feet."

"Fine Ms. Picky, we'll go to the movies!" Puck stood up from the bed, moving over to his suitcase, "Come on princess, get up, we're leaving shortly." Puck didn't glance back as he walked into the bathroom to shower and get ready, he knew she would get ready.

Rachel sighed, putting her magazine down. "What are we seeing?" She called towards the closed door.

"No idea, just get ready. We'll figure that out when we get there."

Two hours later, they were standing at the door, putting coats on and grabbing keys. They would take her dad's SUV. Finn stood with his hands on his hips. "Now kids, drive carefully. Don't forget curfew is at midnight. If you don't have her back by then Puckerman… Let's just say it won't be pretty. And be safe, do you need the banana talk before you go?" Finn tried to hide the smile that wanted to break out across his face.

Puck shoved Finn's shoulder. "Seriously asshole? Shut the fuck up," But Puck smirked as he wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder. "Trust me, _Rachel_ knows I know how to _wrap _it." Puck led Rachel out the door, she playfully slapped his chest.

Finn stood there for a minute before the joke finally caught up to him. "Hey! Dude that's my _sister_!" Finn hollered from the doorway but Puck and Rachel were already in the car.

Rachel looked at the dumbfounded expression on her brother's face, "That wasn't very nice Noah."

"Babe, it was fucking hilarious!" Puck pulled out of the driveway, heading towards the only movie theatre in Lima. "So, what's playing? Did you check online?" Puck came to a stop at an intersection.

"Yes, that new movie, "Take Me Home Tonight" is playing. It's that 80's comedy, it sounds pretty funny…" Rachel trailed off, she wasn't used to being able to constantly pick what they saw or where they ate.

"Okay babe that sounds good to me. It's whatever you want to see, you know that." Puck reached across the seat, taking her hand in his, squeezing gently.

"I know it is." Rachel whispered, watching the all too familiar scenery pass by her.

"You okay Rach?" Puck squeezed her hand again, general concern for his girlfriend coming out. "Babe? What's wrong?" Rachel didn't answer him, but continued to stare out the passenger window. When Puck turned the corner, heading up the main stretch of road, Rachel death gripped Puck's hand, whimpering quietly. "Babe, what's wrong? Really, you're scaring me, what's wrong?" Puck looked around, the only thing he really spotted as he drove by was a dark alley, and a dance studio, the rest of the buildings looked emptied. A tear slid down Rachel's cheek, her grip tightening. "Babe, I think your cutting off circulation." As soon as he passed the buildings and was turning up the next road, her grip loosened, and her eyes opened. She took a deep breath, bringing Puck's hand up to kiss the back of it.

Against his skin she whispered an, "I love you so much." Dropping their hands into her lap, continuing to hold on to it.

"I love you too princess, but what was that all about?" Puck questioned, still looking worried over his girlfriends actions.

"Can we talk about it later?"

"Sure babe," Puck was hesitant on his answer, he wanted to know so he could fix it. He hated to see her so upset. When they finally pulled in, Rachel waited until Puck was back in sight and she could get out and automatically catch his hand. "You sure you still want to do this?"

"Yes Noah," Rachel ducked her head, not looking up as Puck led them to the entrance of the theatre. Puck noticed Rachel acted less self confident and a lot shyer than when they were in New York. In New York she walked next to him with her held high, smiling the whole time. Puck bought the tickets, soda and popcorn; they made their way to the right theatre climbing up the stairs to get to the back of the theatre. When they sat down, Puck pulled the arm rest up, pulling into his side.

Puck tried not to let it bother him, but every time he glanced at Rachel, he kind of felt like they were back in September, on the first day she showed up. The quiet, no self confidence Rachel; not his loud, starting to take control of her life Rachel. "Popcorn?" Puck pushed the bucket into her lap.

"No, I don't need popcorn, I really should lose some weight." Rachel mumbled, "I don't want to be too fat…" Rachel glanced away, pushing the popcorn into his lap again.

Puck's brow knitted together in confusion, "Princess, what are you talking about? You're perfect, I love _you_." Puck placed the popcorn on the floor, taking her chin in his hand, turning her head gently so she would have to look at him. He knew that Rachel was building her walls back up and he knew right then and there that they would head home as soon as possible-tomorrow if it's his choice. Lima wasn't healthy for her.

"But you might not if I'm too fat."

Puck shook his head, kissing her gently, "Babe, that's not true." Puck picked up the popcorn bucket, "Really babe, we haven't had dinner, you should have something." When Rachel shook her head, Puck sighed and sat back, drawing her back to his side. He didn't want her in Lima if this was how it would make her feel.

The lights dimmed, the movie starting, Rachel snuggled deeper into Puck's side. But after 20 minutes Rachel really needed to get up and use the restroom. "Noah?"

Puck looked down at Rachel's wide eyes, "Yeah babe, what's up?" Puck whispered, not taking his eyes off of her.

"May I use the restroom?" Rachel adverted her eyes, her tone was serious though, there was no hint to a joke or teasing.

"What? Rach, you don't need my permission, just go." Puck brushed his hand across her cheek, Rachel flinched away from his touch. Puck tucked lose strands of hair behind her ear, confused as to why she flinched, he pulled his hand away. "Rachel?" Puck watched as she stood, walking down the stairs. Puck pulled out his cell phone, quickly sending Finn a message.

_**WTF! We need to talk when I get back. Rachel just asked _my_ permission to go the bathroom, and then fucking flinched away from me! Lima is not healthy for her, I'm taking her home to New York tomorrow! With or without you and Quinn, -Puck_

Rachel exited the theatre, her head down. She knew that when or if she drove past _there_ it would send her back to when she was with _him_ and that was ridiculous. Her relationship with Puck was so much different, so much better than anything she had with _him_. Realization dawned on her as she entered the bathroom, _I called myself fat, I flinched away from _Noah_, he wouldn't hurt me; he loves me_. Rachel's mind went a mile per minute thinking of everything she did wrong, every wrong move she just made. How confused Puck must be by behavior.

When she exited the bathroom, she was wiping the excess water off her hands, "Rachel? Rachel Berry?" A familiar voice called out.

Rachel turned around to see a tall, lanky man walking towards her. He had the same short blond hair and deep blue eyes as he did two years ago when he walked out of her life too. "_Noé_?" She felt the tears well in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" Noé reached Rachel, trying to pull her into a hug. "No," Rachel pushed him away.

"I'm on break, what have you been up to? Are you still living at home?" Noé asked, standing close to her.

"No, I moved to New York." Rachel kept her answer short, trying to get away from him, she wanted nothing to do with the one person that didn't fight for her. Didn't try to help her.

"Oh, why there? Wait, isn't Finn out there?" Noé looked at Rachel, really looked at her. He could see that the light in her eyes had returned over the years, that she looked healthy.

"Yes, he is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my _boyfriend_." Rachel tried to move around him but Noé grabbed her arm, stopping her, "Let go of me."

"Are you still with _Jesse_?" He really hoped she wasn't but back then, she was _in love _with him.

"No." Rachel tried to pull her wrist from his grasp.

Noé was surprised to hear she was with someone else. "Oh, well Jesse comes home this week, are you going to see him?"

"No." Rachel tried again, but Noé didn't loosen his grip, "Please, let go of me."

Noé was always jealous that Rachel never gave him the time of day, always brushed him off, called him her _best friend_**. **He pulled her closer to him, "Does he treat you the way Jesse did? Tell you he loves you? _Protects _you from all the bad guys? Does he act like a gentleman? Treat you special?" Noé whispered, looking right into her eyes.

Rachel didn't know who was standing in front of her, it wasn't her former best friend. "You walked away from me, when I pulled away from you, crying out for help, you left. Not a second glance…"

"Who the hell are you? Get your hands off her!" Puck had enough waiting, when Rachel didn't return, he knew something was off. What he didn't expect was to come out and find some other guys hands on her. He could see how tense Rachel was, she was uncomfortable.

Rachel turned around, seeing Puck behind her. Noé dropped her hand, sighing in relief, Rachel ran towards Puck, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "Noah," Rachel breathed him in, holding on tightly. "Can we please go _home_?" Rachel asked, looking up at Puck.

"Does he let you make all the decisions now? Kind of like Jesse did? What's going to happen in three months when everything changes? Huh?" Noé interjected before Puck could answer.

Puck couldn't believe the balls this guy had, to talk to her like that. Puck ignored this other guy and answered Rachel. "Yeah babe, we're heading to your father's house right now." Puck squeezed her tightly, kissing the top of her head. Puck glanced up at this other guy, who he didn't even know a name for him. "If you'd excuse us, we're leaving…"

"You're already controlling her. I see how you like them Rachel. Tell me, does he pay for everything too? What do you _have _to give him in return?" Noé stepped closer to the couple, seeing how far her new _boyfriend_ would let him go.

Rachel shook her head, "No, no, I want to go _home_, Noah. I want to be back _home_." She looked up at him, expecting it all to click.

Puck nodded, he would get to take her home to New York hopefully tonight. Maybe he could get the jet… "Yeah princess, we'll head home."

"How convenient, you already live with him, don't you? I thought Jesse was your _prince_ that had _rescued _the poor princess from the boring life. Isn't that how you explained it to me once?" Noé threw out there for good measure, he wasn't going to let Rachel just walk away again, she hurt him and he would be damned if he didn't hurt her back.

Puck shifted Rachel so she was behind him, still clinging to him though. "Alright dude, that's enough! I don't fucking know you, you don't know me. I'm taking Rachel out of here. One more word from you and I can't promise you what your face will look like when I'm done with it pretty boy." Puck sneered, "And last I checked Finn didn't like guys insulting his sister, now leave!" Puck motioned him towards the other side of the theatre.

"Hey Rachel, don't forget to say hi to Jesse before you go off wherever it is your living now." Noé turned on his heel and walked away, feeling a little too confident over what just went down.

Even though Puck was vibrating with anger, Rachel clinging to him told him he needed to get her out of here. "Come on babe," Puck took her in his arms leading her out the door. Once they were outside, Puck stopped so he could pick Rachel up bridal style. "Shh, your okay. I've got you now, no one can hurt you," Puck whispered, peppering her face with tiny kisses.

"I…just want to go home." Rachel sobbed, nuzzling his neck. She had enough of Lima. To find out _he _was getting out of jail and no one to throw her a heads up was like a punch to the gut. Then to see Noé and him to tell her and point out all the flaws her relationship with _him_ had. "I-I-I love you," Rachel held on to Puck a little tighter when he went to open the door to the car, she wasn't ready for him to let her go yet.

"I know babe, I love you too, so much Rachel." He tried to kiss the tears away. Puck was confused, there was so much information he was missing. Where did this Jesse guy go?

Before anymore could be said, Finn pulled up, jumping out of the car, "Dude, you can't send me a text like that and not answer me back! What the hell is going on?" Finn walked towards the pair, looking at Rachel's crying form, to Puck who was holding her with such care.

"Let me down," Rachel croaked, Puck at first just tightened his grip but when Rachel struggled, he gently dropped her to her feet, watching her storm over to him. "I can't believe you!" Rachel slapped Finn hard across the cheek. "You knew, _you knew_, he was getting out of jail and you didn't even bother to tell me! Don't you think I have a right to know? I was going to be here, in Lima when he got out and nobody told me! What if he showed up at the door?" She hit his chest with her fist, "You knew! How could you do this to _me_! I trusted you Finn! I trusted that you would tell me if something like this came up! How long have you known?" Rachel yelled, as the pieces came together, it all made sense why her father's pressured her to move to New York. Why they and Finn would talk on the phone in hushed tones or why Finn would lock himself away in his room while they talked. "Oh… Oh _god_! Finn! You knew that the reason dad and daddy practically pushed me out the door to move to New York were because of _him_!" Finn stayed silently, listening to Rachel tell him the truth, why everything had been so sudden; from the move to keeping the conversations in private.

"We were trying to protect you Rachel…" Finn tried to explain.

"No! You kept this from me! You kept the main reason I was so _hurt_ in secrecy. How could you do this to me? What if I ran into him on the streets?"

"We knew Puck would be with you…"

Rachel scoffed, "What if he didn't become my boyfriend? What if he didn't love me? Finn that's a lot of what ifs." Rachel watched the emotion play out on Finn's face, regret. "You know what, I can't do this. Keep secrets from me if you want. I _hate _you." Rachel turned back to a shocked Puck. "Take me home."

Puck nodded, "I'll call the airlines now. Come on babe." Puck held out his hand for Rachel to take, leading her to the passenger side of the car. Neither one looked back to see if Finn was still standing there or not.

…*****…*****

Puck watched Rachel walk up the stairs. He had called the airlines and they had the earliest flight money could buy them. In other words, a seven in the morning first class flight. Puck sighed, Rachel would pack and get the bags ready to be taken out, he was calling the car company to get a car out to pick them up. When he hung up, her father's were in the doorway. Walter looked at Puck, "I take it you two are leaving in the morning."

"Yes Walter, Rachel's pretty upset. I know I can't yell at you, you're her parents, I can be disappointed in you though. And I think I have the right to kick Finn's ass. He could have told her, but you both were so adamant on keeping him from her." Puck ran a hand through his short hair, rubbing the base of his neck. "I can't guarantee she'll ever want to come back here. I won't force her to either, this place hurts her and I hate to see her hurt." Puck stood, walking towards the stairs, both parents silent.

Henry spoke up before he could walk up them. "We're sorry, we thought it best to keep it from her, to protect her."

"You only hurt her worse. Can't you see that? Can't you see this killed her? You kept a huge secret from her. I might not understand what's really going on or why this dude was in jail-I have a pretty good hunch though-and one day I will know but for now, you hurt the one person I really love. I can't let that happen," Puck turned, heading towards Rachel's room, leaving both Henry and Walter in shock.

Puck walked into the room, seeing the suitcase on the bed, clothes folded next to it. "Rachel?" He was met with a small gasp from the bathroom. Puck hesitantly walked over to it, knocking softly. When he was met with a choked sobbed, Puck pushed the door open to find Rachel sitting on the edge of the tub, razor blade in hand. "Rachel, what are you doing?" Puck walked slowly towards Rachel, hands extended towards her. "Rachel, give me that," Puck reached for the blade but Rachel dropped it to the floor.

Tears streamed down Rachel's face as the reality of what she just tried to do came to her. "Noah…" Rachel sobbed as she let herself crumble to the floor, the despair washing through her. She hadn't felt this way since September; the self loathing, the depression, the anger. "Oh god," Rachel held her knees close to her body. She didn't want that _man_ to be free, for him to be put in a world where he could find her. "Noah."

Puck finished walking towards her, dropping down next to her, gathering her in his arms. "Shh Rachel," Puck smoothed her hair down her back; he rocked her gently while whispering soothing, loving words to her. "It'll be okay, we're going home in the morning." Puck knew he was out of his element, he could soothe her from a bad dream or from a hard day but catching her trying to cut herself was one step too far, he didn't know what or if there was a protocol for this one. "Shh, Rachel calm down, it's okay." He continued to rock her, hoping something would calm her down.

Rachel looked up at Puck, her eyes wide and bloodshot from all the tears. Cupping his cheek in her hand, Rachel whispered, "Noah, I think it's time I tell you what really happened two years ago."

**A/N: ****W******ow, the pre-written portion of this is almost halfway posted! It's been so great rereading this and taking a trip back in time...****


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Broken**

**Chapter 13- F***ing Perfect**

When Rachel felt Puck pull away, even if it was only to look in her eyes, Rachel thought otherwise. She knew this was coming. Once it was out, he was going to leave her, she just knew it. "Please...please don't leave me, I-I p-promise to be better, I do." Rachel pleaded, holding on to Puck just a little bit tighter.

Puck could see how serious she was being at the moment; she thought he had it in him to leave her, to walk away. He didn't, no matter what happened, no matter what was said, he could never just walk away from her. "Rachel, I love you, I'll never be the one to leave. I don't think I'm strong enough to leave you." Puck kissed the top of her head, "I love you baby, so much."

Rachel snuggled deeper into his chest, "I love you too." Sighing heavily, Rachel played with the hem of Puck's t-shirt, "I-I guess I should start," she mumbled.

"Whenever you're ready babe," Puck rested the top his cheek on the top of her head. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know the whole story. To hear how she managed to be so broken to the point where she inflicted injury to herself.

Rachel tried to remember how much Puck knew about life before New York, and all she could come up with was he knew she had a boyfriend named Jesse, Jesse had made her turn her back on family and friends. And that she was attacked. "Noah, r-remember Jesse?" At Pucks nod she pushed herself through, "I-he...he used to..._hit _me, talk down to me. I thought I really loved him but only a few weeks into our relationship the insults started to come. Noé wouldn't talk to me if Jesse was around, or over my house. Just a few months in Jesse started to hit me when I wouldn't listen. Constantly pressured me to have sex with him, but _never_ did he touch me, he would just get up and walk away for a few and then come back cooled off.

"_That_ night," Rachel sniffled, burying her head into Puck's chest for a few minutes, letting him just hold her, whispering a few words of comfort. Puck rubbed her back until she slowly sat back up, "I walked myself to dance; Dad and Daddy were out of town, Finn had a dinner to attend with Quinn, and Kurt was with his boyfriend, which I all understood. Jesse and I had a fight earlier over why we weren't having sex-it seemed then that's what all our fights were about-he told me to _fuck_ off, he'd find it somewhere else. I of course broke down thinking of Jesse finding someone else, someone better than me, prettier than me to have sex with. I told him I never wanted to see him again and he told me I didn't make that call, he did, and we weren't over.

"I didn't have any friends in dance so, after I had to walk myself home, it was dark and cold, and if I remember, it was raining or it just ended. But I do remember the ground being cold and wet. That's when I was attacked, in the alley next to the dance studio... Jesse came out of nowhere, he was drunk... Told me I was nothing but a dirty whore and they don't get second chances..." Rachel finally let out a loud sob, one that was filled with only pain.

Puck tried to process everything, she had been abused-mentally and physically-she was attacked by her own _boyfriend_, if you could even call him that. _His_ Rachel was broken and still trying to heal; she had no one to turn to then, no friends... "Rachel, shh, it's oka-..." Puck tried to soothe her.

"No! Noah, let me finish!" She gasped, trying to control the sobs running through her body. "As he _raped _me-Noah, he _raped _me-he beat me, called me names that I would never, could never repeat. Thank god I blacked out; I had never felt so _dirty_. He left me for dead, if it wasn't for the dance instructor seeing him stumble out of the alley, and her gut instinct saying to check, I probably would have died. Some days I wish I had. I wouldn't be here dealing with all this. Before I moved to New York, I had vivid nightmares, flashbacks, hallucinations, you name it, and I went through it.

"Finn felt guilty, _Jesse _was his friend, and he was why we started dating. _Jesse_ was over the house all the time, always had his _eyes_ on me... So, Finn pulled away, Quinn followed his lead, all though she tried the hardest to comfort me. Sure my dad's were there, but they didn't really understand. Kurt didn't know how to react around me, so he left for the most part. Noé..." Rachel laughed humorlessly, shaking her head. "Some _best friend_ he was, yes I pulled away from him but he never, not once, called to see how I was doing, came to see me. No text or e-mail, I thought he was one I could count on.

"I had all this pain and sadness and no one would listen or just _hold _me, so I turned to cutting. I researched it and made sure I knew what I was doing first. It helped me, an emotional release." Rachel sounded distant and Puck didn't know what to do. "Dad caught me, told me that was it, I needed help. So they brought to a therapist who had no idea what she was talking about. She didn't know how _I_ felt! She didn't go through half of what I went through! I refused to go after that. They got me Pixie to try to help me cope. But I still never felt safe. When they suggested I move to New York with Finn, I almost laughed. I had nothing to lose; I packed my bags and headed there." Rachel looked up at Puck, feeling like a million pounds had been lifted off her shoulders. She met his eyes, seeing unshed tears, ones for her, out of the love he felt for her. "Then I met you, when you first took me in your arms, I finally felt safe, I knew deep down you would never let anything happen to me. You would keep me safe. I let you hold me because I _felt_ safe. I let you sleep in my bed because I _felt _safe in your arms. But I was also scared; you were the first that I was letting into my life. I pushed you away because of that. You were relentless though, never let me forget you were there. And Pixie likes you..." Rachel trialed off, biting her lip gently, thinking of the past few months. "You brought me back to life, and I love you for it, I love you because you make me feel _safe_. I love you because you're always here for me, you hold me when I need to be held, sing to me when I need it. I love you Noah," Rachel snuggled into his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her tightly. And she indeed did feel safe. Puck dropped a kiss to the top of her head, and before she could give him a chance to speak, Rachel spoke again. "Sing to me Noah."

"Of course Rach, I love you baby." Puck kissed her once more before thinking of a song to sing to her.

_I know how you feel inside_  
_You're in love and so am I_  
_But you're with some other guy_  
_I should be the one by your side_  
_He cheated made you feel no good_  
_I, told you that he would_  
_I, knew he'd make you cry_

_You're broken_  
_Let me make it better_  
_Glue you back together_  
_Just give me a try_

Puck squeezed Rachel's shoulder, feeling a fresh wave of sobs coming on. He knew he story changed nothing; he loved her more because of what she had to deal on her own.

_Oooh, _  
_Pretty, Pretty Please_  
_Don't you ever ever feel_  
_Like you're less than fucking perfect_  
_If you get with me _  
_I won't ever make you feel_  
_Any less than_  
_Fucking perfect_  
_(You'll see)_

_At his house you found her clothes _  
_Tried to play you and say who's are those?_  
_He's so stupid._  
_Here's how I know_  
_What kind of genius would let perfection go_

Puck felt Rachel let out a small chuckle, and gripped him a little tighter, kissing his chest lightly. He could even feel her lips move, feeling 'I love you,'

_He's conceited _  
_Only bout himself_  
_He loves nobody else_  
_He ain't even fly_

_You're broken_  
_Let me make it better _  
_Glue you back together_  
_Just give me a try_

_Ooh _  
_Pretty pretty please_  
_Don't you ever ever feel_  
_Any less than_  
_Fucking perfect_  
_If you get with me _  
_I won't ever make you feel_  
_Any less than_  
_Fucking perfect_  
_(You'll see)_

_It's gonna take time to heal that hole (he left)_  
_Exactly how long I don't know but_  
_You got pain and I know a remedy_  
_You gotta start kickin' with someone like me_  
_Now you're over- analyzing all your thoughts_  
_Start thinking it was all your fault_  
_But baby girl don't you go and blame yourself_  
_Cause he's just a douchebag_  
_he's just a douchebag_

Puck was able to get another chuckle from Rachel, which in turn made him smile. Rachel thought this song seemed almost perfect, besides it being a little different from her situation, she still found endearing.

_Oooh woah_  
_Yeah _

_I was hoping _  
_You'd let me replace him_  
_I would straight erase him_  
_Right out of your mind_

_Pretty pretty please_  
_Don't you ever ever feel_  
_Like you're less than _  
_Fucking Perfect_  
_If you get with me _  
_I won't ever make you feel_  
_Any less than _  
_Fucking perfect_  
_Pretty Pretty Please_  
_Don't you ever ever feel_  
_Like you're less than_  
_Fucking Perfect_  
_If you get with me _  
_I won't ever make you feel_  
_Any less than _  
_Fucking Perfect_

Puck ended the song, giving her a simple kiss to her temple. "Nothing changes Rachel; I love you more than ever and will do whatever it takes to make you better. I promise you Rachel, whatever it takes. You will always be perfect in my eyes, never forget that. Whatever he said in the past means nothing Rach, you _are _beautiful, you _are_ strong, you _are _kind, I will never treat you like that, you _are _fucking perfect and I fucking _love_ you Rach."

**…***...*****

When they finally arrived back in New York, Puck was pacing back and forth in the living room waiting for his parents to finish their drive from Rhode Island. He _missed_ his damn dog. Okay, so it's only been a few days since he last saw Pixie, but it was too long, he really loved the little dog.

"Noah, stop." Rachel stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. "I'm starting to feel like you're with me for my dog." Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close. She knew that was most certainly not the case, Puck did _love _her, even after everything she's been through, how broken she really is, he still wants her. But don't blame her for having a second thought. It's not normal for a boyfriend to worry so much of _your_ dog.

Puck sighed, running a hand over his head. "I love you Rachel, and I'm not with you because of the dog, I'm with you because you're funny, smart, beautiful, kind, sweet..."

"Okay! I got it, I love you too."

"But I did grow attached to Pixie, she's just too damn cute!" Puck smiled, wrapping his arms around Rachel's shoulders.

Rachel smiled when she felt his arms around her, relaxing against him. "Should I give you two alone time when she gets back?" She joked, laughing to herself.

"Awww babe, you know me so well." Puck kissed the top of Rachel's head, smiling against her hair. Just as he was going to open his mouth to speak again, the door opened and Pixie came running in, straight at Puck. "Pixie! My babygirl! I've missed you!" He removed his arms from Rachel's shoulders and picked up the small dog, cradling her like a baby. Pixie barked excitedly and started licking his face. "Did you miss daddy as much as he missed you? I'll bet you did, huh girl?"

Rachel looked at her dog and boyfriend, smiling sadly. She knew that Puck loved her, but when he acted like _that_ with a dog, she couldn't help but feel insecure. She slowly walked into her room and lay down on the bed, thinking. So many things had changed, but yet everything was the same. She was still a scared little girl when it was the end of the day, and she didn't know how anyone could love her.

**…***...*****

After an hour of playing with Pixie, Puck realized that Rachel wasn't in the living room anymore. He walked to her room quietly and upon seeing the door open, slowly walked inside. The sight he saw made him smile. Rachel was curled up asleep in the middle of her bed holding one of his sweatshirts with a small peaceful smile on her face. He sat next to her, just watching her sleep for a few minutes before she began to stir and he was afraid he woke her up. He held his breath for a moment and when she only rolled over, getting more comfortable, smiled wider. Puck pulled her polka-dotted throw blanket over her and set Pixie down by her side before stroking her hair softly.

**…***...*****

Rachel hadn't meant to fall asleep at all. She just wanted to rest her eyes for a few minutes, but when she woke up and it was dark outside, she had expected Puck to be next to her, as he so often was when she fell asleep on accident. Looking around her room, she frowned, only finding Pixie. She stood up and stretched, worried that he had left, for good. "Noah?" She called quietly, walking into the hall. "Noah? Are you here?" She walked around the apartment, wrapping her arms around herself. The whole apartment was dark, and she couldn't hear him breathing in his room. She was _alone._ Completely _alone._ Since she moved in here, she was never by herself. There was always someone here. Walking into the kitchen, she turned on the light hoping to see a note or something from him, saying where he had gone and that he'd be back soon.  
She didn't find anything, not even a little sticky note saying _"I love you." _on it. Rachel sighed, figuring he had thought about what they talked about before coming home and decided that he couldn't handle it. That she had too much emotional baggage to deal with, and he didn't know how to break it to her. Moving around the apartment blindly, her tears blurring her vision, she went to Pucks room and opened the door, staring at the bed, large and inviting. But for some reason, she didn't feel welcome.

The big apartment was so cold and uninviting to her now. She tried to think of where he could be at eleven o'clock at night, and the only place she could think of scared her. _He was out, getting drunk, trying to forget about her._ She heard noises outside and started panicking. Running into Pucks room without thinking, she hid under the covers, crying herself to sleep.

**…***...*****

Puck hadn't meant to be out so late. He called Sam while Rachel was sleeping to meet him at a jewelry store. He wanted to get Rachel something nice, and he knew Sam had a twin sister, so Puck figured Sam could help him. What he _wasn't _expecting was getting invited by Sam to go watch a football game at one of the local bars that didn't card. By the time Puck walked out of the stuffy building, it was ten thirty in the evening. _Wait, ten thirty? Shit! Rachel! _Puck thought, trying to get back to her as quick as possible.

He felt like a lunatic, running through the streets of New York City, but he didn't care. He _had_ to get home to her. He walked into the apartment at eleven fifteen. Sighing, he went to Rachel's room to check on her, but stopped when he heard quiet sobs coming from his room. Quietly, he opened the door, frowning at what he saw. The top of Rachel's head was sticking out from under his covers, and he could see her body shaking with sobs. "Rachel?" He asked quietly, sitting next to her. She just cried louder, making him frown. "Rach? Baby, it's me. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Please talk to me. Look, I'm sorry that I was gone but I had to go do something. I love you."

"Please leave," Rachel sniffled, even though she moved closer to him. Puck slid down next to her, pulling the covers over his head as well.

"Rach, what's wrong? Please tell me what I did."

"You left...I woke up and you weren't here. I was all alone. It's scary here at night. You always leave a note if you go somewhere when I'm asleep. You left me," Rachel said quietly, tears streaming down her face, "I know you probably realized that I'm not good enough for you, and I have a lot of extra baggage, but if you are going to leave me, I would appreciate a little warning first.

"I mean, I know I'm kind of crazy and I'm not the easiest to get along with, but you could at least have the decency to not leave me here alone before you break my heart into a million pieces Noah." Rachel was sobbing hysterically, trying to catch her breath.

"Shhh, Rach, I'm not leaving you. I'm never leaving you baby," Puck said softly, pulling her to his chest, rocking her back and forth. "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to be gone long, I love you." He hated that he made her feel that way, that she felt she wasn't good enough for him. "Don't ever think you're not good enough for me. You're perfect." He kissed the top of her head, holding her closer until she stopped crying and looked at him with tired, bloodshot eyes.

"I love you Noah." She yawned, falling asleep in his arms.

"Love you too Rach." Even though he was exhausted, Puck couldn't sleep. He stayed up, watching Rachel and holding her the rest of the night.

**A/N: I remember this chapter being so hard to write at the time...wanting to do the situation justice. I still feel sometimes that I didn't. This is probably my least favorite chapter I wrote (there's one other that ties with that title) and I always toy with re-writing it...**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Broken**

**Chapter 14- Love Is a Funny Thing**

Puck's eyes opened with the streaming sunlight, Rachel snug against his chest. They were fine now, sure the small break down set them back, but they were living by themselves; _for now_, Puck thought sourly. Finn was due back in a little under two weeks, and he knew, _just _knew shit would hit the fan.

Gently untangling himself from Rachel, Puck slipped out the door with one thing on his mind; apartment listings. If Finn got too out of control, they would have a backup plan in the form of their own apartment.

Grabbing a cup from the cupboard, he poured his coffee and sat down with yesterday's paper, highlighter in hand. Puck sat quietly contemplating his relationship and the new levels it had reached. When Rachel first arrived all those months ago, he never would've guessed it would lead to love, to looking through apartment listings for _them_, or thinking about engagements; well okay, that thought just crossed his mind, whatever, same difference.

After almost 20 minutes of Puck pouring over apartment listings, Pixie padded in, looking up at him and then to her bowl expectantly. Growling softly, Puck reluctantly pulled himself away to get her the food and water she wanted. "There, happy?" Puck said, looking at the dog, smiling to himself, an idea popped into his head and immediately set off to work.

**…***...*****

"Babe? C'mon, wake up," Puck nudged Rachel, kissing her cheek gently. Rachel groaned but didn't move. "Baby? It's almost 10, c'mon, wakey, wakey." Puck kissed her again, poking her side gently.

Rachel groaned, she honestly didn't want to wake up. She was enjoying this whole sleep in thing. But as her senses came to her, she could smell the fresh coffee, that was enough to motivate her but she could also smell the aroma of breakfast. More specifically waffles. And she had a weak spot for waffles. Cracking her eyes open, she was met with the sight of her handsome boyfriend, reaching up she pecked his lips. "Mm, what smells so good?"

With a smirk, Puck stated proudly, "Breakfast, in bed for the love of my life." He kissed her lips one more time before sliding off the bed to get the tray of food balancing precariously on the edge of the nightstand, watching his girlfriends eyes widen slightly at the single red rose that was on the tray. "I made you waffles, cut you some fresh fruit, and I know you hate eating your breakfast with coffee, so I made sure you had a cup of cranberry juice. Oh and the side of syrup is homemade or locally made, I stock up when I go to Rhode Island in the spring. Waffles aren't the same without Uncle Buck's maple syrup." Puck smiled down at Rachel, waiting for her to sit up so he could place the tray in her lap.

Rachel sat up slowly, this kind of gesture had never been done for her before. It was something she always saw in the movies and wished it would happen one day to her. And here before her stood a man who just spent time making _her _breakfast, showing her he loved her. "All this, for me?" Puck smiled again, nodding slowly. "Wow, it looks really good. And you remembered no coffee with breakfast. God, I love you." Rachel smiled, stretching her neck to show him she wanted a kiss. He happily obliged, kissing her slow and sweetly.

"I love you, too, baby. Now eat up before it gets cold." Puck joked lightly.

Rachel nodded, taking the first bite of her waffles. "So good, thank you Noah." Rachel saw that he was still standing at the edge of the bed, staring down at her with a loving smile. "Noah? Are you going to sit with me?"

"Sure babe," Puck sat next to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Rachel smiled widely, cutting a piece of the waffle and getting a strawberry, she held it up to Puck, waiting for him to take it. "Feeding me now?" Puck asked, voice colored with amusement.

"You have to try these delicious waffles my boyfriend made me." Rachel tried not to giggle as Puck raised an eyebrow.

"Should I be jealous of this said boyfriend?" Puck asked in a mock seriousness. Rachel ended their playful banter with a kiss to his lips.

**…***...*****

Rachel gathered the leftover items onto the tray, Puck had gone off to take his shower so they could go out later. The only thing he would tell her was they had 'things' to see, she was only a little scared. She walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, a huge grin on her face, saying hello to Pixie on her way there. She promised Puck she would do her dishes, even though he wanted to argue with her.

As soon as she walked in, she noticed his coffee mug holding down the newspaper, laughing to herself she went to pick up the coffee mug. There were sections highlighted all over the paper, the bright yellow decorating the paper really caught her eye. She hesitantly picked up the paper, holding her breath as she read the first highlighted box. _Le Rivage: One Bedroom, mst bath, full bath, living room, study, lg ktch and alcove; $4,500/month. Security deposit and 1st month's rent due at time of lease sign. _

Rachel's hand flew to her mouth, a small whimper escaping. _Is he cheating on me? Did he find someone better? Does he not love me anymore? But breakfast..._ Rachel's thoughts ran frantic as she tried to grasp for something, anything, any reason or sign that he never loved her. _Does he need space?_ Rachel sat down slowly, willing the tears to stay in her eyes. _Oh, please god let this be a misunderstanding._ Rachel heard the bedroom door open, Puck's steps growing louder.

"Hey baby, I was thinking, maybe we could move all your shit into my room or yours whichever. But the running back and forth must be driving you..." Puck stopped short, seeing her shoulders slumped and shaking slightly. "Rach? What's..."

"Are you leaving me Noah? I'm serious this time. Last time you were out late, and you said no, that you loved me. But... Now there's apartment listings highlighted. Only the one bedroom apartments. If-if-if you need time apart, tell me now. I'll get on the first flight back to Li-Lima and you can just stay here. I-I don't want to kick you out of your own apartment." Rachel took a deep breath, trying to control the urge to break down. She was better than that, she could hold herself together a little longer.

Rachel had rattled off the rant so fast, Puck didn't even have a chance to blink. Kneeling down in front of her, Puck took her face into his hands. "Rach, deep breaths. Those listings, I figured we'd have a backup plan. Finn comes home soon and shit will hit the fan. If it gets too much, I want somewhere that we can go, just us. I wanted us to get the apartment _together_. You and me; that's what we're supposed to do today, look and if we see something we like, sign for it." Puck took a deep breath, "Look, I've never done this before. Never moved in with a girl, just the two of us."

Listening to Puck's explanation, her tears turned to one's of joy. "Do you really want to move in together?"

"Yeah babe, I do." Puck thought how hopefully one day they would be saying those exact words in a different setting and with a big audience. "Now wipe away the tears, the first one has our name all over it!" Puck laughed, kissing the top of her head.

Rachel's eyes grew wide, "Le Rivage? No. Too big, too expensive." She argued, standing toe to toe with him.

"Nope and nope. I think it's perfect for our first place together! Oh, by the way, we're meeting Sam for pizza tonight at his place." Puck informed her has she backed away.

"That sounds lovely Noah." Rachel kissed his cheek gently before walking off, her insecurities still following her.

**…***...*****

The Realtor, Nanci, looked down at the couples joined hands before opening the door to the study. "So, you see this, if need be could be another bedroom. Would you like time to look around by yourself before making a decision?"

Rachel looked around the large room, feeling as if this place was really big for just the two of them. "Noah, do we have to make a decision today?" She looked up at him, gently biting her bottom lip.

Noah knew she would say this place was too big and the realtor's comment about needing an extra bedroom? Not necessary. "We'll take those few minutes please?" Nanci nodded before heading out the main door. "Come on babe, what's not to love. Besides the fact that this would be _ours_. No brother to interrupt us, no Kurt barging in asking to use the mirror, no having to make dinner for four. I think even Pixie would love it here. It's large and spacious, and... I just really like it babe." Puck walked out of the room and across the way, towards the main bedroom. "Did you see how nice this bedroom is?" Walking out of there and taking a sharp right, going through the small hallway before it opened up to a large living room. "And _fuck_, the living room, we could have all our friends over!"

Rachel stood watching Puck, a large smile on her face, he really wanted a place to call _theirs_. "Oh! So if we get this, can we turn the study into a spare so we can have your parents come out more often?" Rachel watched Puck's face drop a little before lighting right back up. She thought this is where he would argue with her but instead he surprised her by running and scooping her up in his arms.

Puck peppered light kisses all along her cheeks, listening to her laugh. "Baby, we can do that as long as Papa Berries come stay here too." Puck knew that would have her, that it would mean the world to have her father's come here.

"Do you mean it Noah?" She asked softly.

"Yeah baby, I do. I love you." Puck kissed Rachel softy just as the Nanci came back in.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just wanted to check on everything." Nanci watched as the two love birds pulled away from each other. "So, do we have an answer?"

"We'll take it." Both Rachel and Puck said in unison.

As the realtor retrieved the papers from the office, and Puck grabbed the check he had in his wallet, Rachel wandered into the kitchen, _her kitchen_. Rachel had always loved to cook and bake but something warmed her inside knowing _she_ had a kitchen of her own. _Maybe we could do Thanksgiving here, my parent's, Noah's family, Finn and Quinn and maybe a few friends that don't travel home._ _The boys can watch Football while us girls cook and talk...something I've always dreamt of..._ Rachel was broken away from her thoughts as two arms snaked around her waist, she leaned into his touch, both of them standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Puck had found Rachel standing by the stove lost in thought. "What's got you thinking babe?" Puck asked quietly, not really wanting to break the silence.

"Thanksgiving." Rachel replied, not going any further.

"Thanksgiving? Babe, we just got through the holidays, don't rush this years." Puck laughed, kissing the top of Rachel's head.

"No." Rachel shook her head, turning in his arms, "I mean, can we have it here? With our family?"

Puck's eyes lit up, to think that she was already thinking of a Thanksgiving with their families under one roof. Sure it might get hectic but he could already see it; his dad, her dads, Finn and him, lounging on the couch watching football while the girls finished dinner, and dessert. He could see Rachel playing hostess with a big smile on her face as her and his mom talked about anything and everything; he could see after a long day of cooking, giving her a foot massage and thanking her for the wonderful food. And none of this even fazed him, it all seemed so natural, he desperately _wanted _it-that there kind of scared him. "Yeah, we can have that." With a gentle kiss to her lips, Puck leaned his forehead on hers, "In a matter of 15 more minutes, this place will be ours and you can plan all the Thanksgivings you want."

Nanci watched from the door way as her two young clients shared an intimate moment, it seemed too perfect to break, so instead she watched. When Nanci had first met them she had categorized them as young and 'in love' but now that she has seen them, she can't quite understand why she doesn't have a ring on her finger. Clearing her throat, Nanci spoke up, "Are we signing you both onto the lease or just one?"

They both spoke different answers at the same time. Puck saying yes and Rachel saying no.

Puck looked down at Rachel quizzically, "Baby, I want you to be on the lease."

"Yes, but Noah, what if something happened to us, and you say that I can have the apartment, there is no way I would be able to keep up with a $4,500 payment a month." Rachel looked at Nanci, unsure of how she felt disclosing such a matter in front of a stranger. She smiled hesitantly over at Nanci before looking up at Puck.

Puck still shook his head, he understood where she was coming from but at the same point, he knew she loved this place just as much as him and she deserved to be on the damn lease as well. "I'm not going to cave on this one, you're signing it too. You love it just as much as me, therefore your name is right next to mine on that dotted line. Get it? Got it? Good. Now let's move on." Puck clapped his hands together, both Nanci and Rachel shaking their heads.

**…***...*****

"So you just leased an apartment, like that?" Sam snapped his fingers, watching Puck nod as he bit into another slice of pizza. "Dude, I wish I had the money you do. That place must be...ginormous!" Sam had a wide eyed expression on his face.

"Sure it is," Puck threw his arm over Rachel's shoulders, smiling widely. "And it's _our_ apartment, not just mine. But for now, we'll still live at the one with Finn and if shit does hit the fan, we're out." Glancing at Rachel, he knew it was something she was hoping wouldn't get that far. "I mean of course we're hoping not, but..." Puck shrugged, trying to make it not seem as big of a deal as it really was. He _really_ wanted that apartment to work out in his favor.

"Noah..." Rachel drawled out, "It's just that Finn is my brother and moving out would make him have to change his living arrangements."

Puck kissed the top of head, "I know babe." At that exact moment, Puck felt his phone go off, reaching in and seeing who it was, he _had _to take it. "Hold up babe, I have to take this. Be right back." Puck jumped off the couch heading towards the kitchen.

Rachel sighed, this night is not what she expected it to be. Who was calling that was so important that _he had_ to take it? "Everything alright?" Sam asked quietly.

Rachel looked up at Sam, seeing the general concern for her written in his eyes. Plastering on a smile, Rachel answered him, "Yes... No... I don't know," Rachel deflated against his piercing gaze.

Sam nodded, "Well, I'm always here if you need to talk, I do consider you one of my friends."

Rachel looked at Sam for a moment, trying to judge if he meant what he said or not, "You do?"

"Of course, I mean I might not _know_ you, but I'm willing to, if you'd want?" Sam didn't know where this was coming from, but when Puck walked out of the room, something in Rachel's eyes said she was feeling horrible, or maybe insecure. But deep down he knew she needed a friend.

Rachel showed a genuine smile, how could she not? She didn't get many offers of friendship and she was going to take them as if they were worth a million bucks. "I would love that!" Rachel exclaimed, making Sam chuckle quietly.

When Puck got off the phone, he had turned to head back into the living room with Sam and Rachel, staying quiet as the scene before him unfolded. Sam _wanted _to be her friend. _Maybe this won't be so hard_, Puck thought warily to himself. "Hey babe, I have to go out for maybe an hour or so, mind staying with Evans?" Puck tried to keep it light, but he hated the way his gut twisted with guilt, lying to her was never an easy task.

Rachel's face dropped, a feeling that she couldn't quite place, one she had never experienced ripped through her chest, leaving her breathless and almost in tears. "No, I don't, it will give us time to explore this new friendship..." Rachel trailed off, trying to force a smile.

Puck could see it and instantly just wanted to take her with him, forgetting the task he had at hand. But he had to do this, for _her_, "Thanks babe, I love you." Puck kissed her sweetly on the lips before heading towards the door.

"I love you too Noah," Rachel said quietly, but still with conviction. She would always love this man.

"My cell is on if you need me babe!" Puck called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

As soon as the door shut a few traitor tears escaped from Rachel's eyes; Sam stared at her not knowing what to do or what to say. Instead he moved over to sit next to her, rubbing her back gently. "Rachel, what's wrong?" Sam stayed quiet letting Rachel calm herself.

After a while Rachel finally spoke up, her voice hoarse from the crying she had just finished. "Can I ask you something?"

Sam cleared his throat, even though he offered a friendship towards Rachel, he had feeling this was going to get into dangerous territory. "Of course, ask away."

Rachel contemplated asking him, this could all get back to Puck and then he would know that she still had insecurities about their relationship that she doubted would ever go away. She already has experienced being cheated on, she knows that feeling all too well, and would like for it to not happen again. Rachel chewed on her bottom lip thinking of the best way to go about this. "Promise me none of this will get back to Noah?" Rachel asked, not meeting Sam's gaze.

"Rachel..." Sam started to protest, he knew if something was wrong he would have to risk her trust and tell him anyways.

"I'm serious here Sam, promise me, please?" Rachel gave him a tearful expression that really said she needed to get whatever was on her mind off her chest.

"I...just...fine. I promise Rachel, this won't get back to Puck." Sam tried to vow, hoping it would get her to open up.

Rachel took a deep breath, "Do..." It came out as more of a squeak, readying herself once more, she started to ask her question. "Do you think Noah would cheat on me?" Rachel looked up to watch Sam's expression.

Pure shock took over his face. "What? No! I don't think that's possible, Puck could never, would never do that to you! He's been wrapped up in you, and what you're all about since you first moved in. I swear that guy fell in love with you the moment you stepped foot in the apartment!" Sam took a deep breath, "Honestly, I have no idea where he went, all I know is the guilt of just not telling you where he's going is eating him alive, never mind the lying part. Give him a day, he'll crack and tell you." Sam gave her his best smile. In all seriousness he was going to punch Puck when he walks through that door, there's no way he doesn't know this is how Rachel would react.

Rachel just nodded towards Sam's words. Maybe he was right, maybe Puck wasn't cheating on her, but something just continued to nag away at her gut, something just wasn't right. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching the infomercial that neither of them really cared about. "I do trust him, don't get me wrong, and love him very much..."

"There's just something bugging you about the whole situation. What does my sister call it? A woman's intuition? Yeah that's it." Sam watched as Rachel chuckled, she did find it amusing that he could finish her sentence. "What's so funny?"

"You finished my sentence." Rachel laughed a little bit more.

Sam shrugged, "Yeah, I know." Sam let Rachel lean against him as her eyes drifted closed, for whatever reason he knew this friendship would help her in the long run. Now his only concern was of Puck, this friendship might not go over well for him. As Sam fell asleep his last thought was Puck was already running 45 minutes late.

**…***...*****

"Yes I'm sure this is what I ordered," Puck explained for millionth time. He was growing very frustrated with the woman behind the counter.

"Sir, I asked if you wanted it gift wrapped, the last time you were here, you rushed out of the place." The woman answered in a shrill voice, sounding very annoyed herself.

"Yes, I would like it gift wrapped. It'll save me time. Now can we please hurry it up?" Puck tapped his fingers impatiently on the glass.

"Mhm, I'll be right back out." The lady turned on her heel, going into the back room. Puck glanced down at the display case below him, noting the diamonds that glittered. He soon realized he was starring down at the engagement rings. He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't even hear the woman approach, "Is there a lucky lady you would buying one of those for?" Puck just nodded, still looking at the wedding band sets. "Oh, well, I can ring you out over here, if you're ready." Puck just nodded again, pulling out his credit card and handing it to the lady. "Wouldn't you like the total before I slide this through the machine?" The lady asked, wonderment coloring her tone.

"No, it doesn't matter." Puck grumbled, still wanting to get out of here. But now the idea of a ring was playing around in his head, but how would he go about that? Was she even ready for a bigger more serious commitment? Hell, was he even ready to take that step? He kind of figured one day she would be more than a girlfriend, especially sense Nana approved so fast.

Puck quickly signed the dotted line and swiped the bag from the lady, walking out the door and pulling out his phone he dialed his mother's number and waited for her to pick up.

_"Noah, so nice to hear from you. What's up sweetheart?" _Hanna answered the phone, sweetly talking to her son she missed dearly.

"Ma, I need you to find out what's happening with all of Nana's things, there's a few item's I know are mine, and I really want to see them again. And also, I think it's time Rachel met your side of the family." Puck knew this would be tough and he wasn't surprised when he was met with silence.

_"One, I do not know, the attorney's have yet to call me. And why? I haven't spoken to them since your senior year of High School. They are not all that important. Is it necessary?" _Hanna's voice grew cold talking about her parent's.

"Fuck ma..."

Hanna cut him off in a scolding tone, _"Language Noah Aaron Puckerman!" _

"Sorry ma, anyways, yes, I need her to at least meet them," Puck asked nervously.

_"Fine, we'll take the week off this month and you can meet us there. Happy?" _It wasn't that Hanna hated her parents or wanted her children to stay away, but there was a lot of history.

"Yes, thanks ma, let me know when." They said their good byes and Puck was head back towards Sam's place and his girlfriend, feeling a little better. He just hoped that his Grandparents approve of Rachel as much as Nana did.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Broken**

**Chapter 15- Hell Week-Part I **

**A/N: S****o this chapter is actually two chapters combined together. It was initially Hell Week parts 1, 2, and 3...but I feel for the flow its best to just put ******part one and two****** together. So sit down, get comfy...this is gonna be a long one. I added some things here and there. I wanted to show that Finn isn't a bad guy, just an overprotective big brother looking out for his sister. **

"What the _fuck_!" Finn's fist clenched tightly as he looked back in forth from his father and dad. Jaw ticking, Finn let it know how pissed he was, "How could you let her leave _with him_?" After the whole movie theater incident, Finn went to stay with Quinn for the night. He knew that he would only receive Rachel's wrath worse when they were alone. When he got home the next night, they were gone, leaving Finn pissed and hurt.

Walter sighed, rubbing his face with his hands; he was tired and _knew _this would happen. "I told the both of you, if we kept this from her..." He shook his head angrily.

Henry glanced at his husband, "We needed to protect her. And how could we if _he _was walking around?"

"Yes, yes, I know. But we should have told her why she had to go to New York. She would have gone, started a new life, healed from her life here. We're lucky that Noah has been looking out for her best interest since they met." Walter sighed, he was tired of fighting with them. "That boy would give his own life for our daughter, do anything to protect her and care for her..."

"Exactly what we did!" Henry yelled, jumping up from his spot on the couch.

Walter continued, ignoring his husband's outburst. "He is perfect for her. We couldn't ask for a better guy to be with our daughter." Crossing his arms, he sat back, watching the other two men grow a little angrier.

"Daddy, the point is, they've only been together for a few months. How could you have trusted her just to fly back with him?" Finn knew part of the problem wasn't Puck but the fact that he was unnerved they would just start trusting guys with her again. Puck was one of his best friends, but he was afraid of history repeating itself, _What if Rachel got hurt again,_ he thought to himself.

Before either men could answer, their front door opened, Quinn's voice sounding through the house. "Finn?" When she came into the living room, she looked at all three men, "Hello Walter, Henry. Finn we had plans tonight, don't you remember?"

Walter and Henry turned to look at their older son, who nodded in response to his long time girlfriend. "Yeah babe, I remembered." Finn slowly stood, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "I guess we'll just continue this later on. Can you at least let me know when she makes it home safe, please?" He walked over to Quinn, wrapping his arms around her waist, gently kissing her lips. "Ready baby?"

Quinn nodded, making her way towards the door, "Wait, where's Puck and Rachel?"

"New York." Finn slipped on his coat, holding the door open for Quinn.

"Because of last night?" Finn nodded in response, still waiting for her to go through the door.

**…***...*****

"I just don't understand why my father's would let that happen." Quinn sighed at Finn's statement, this is all she had heard about since they left his house two hours ago.

"I don't know Finn, but enough is enough. What about us? Every time we get into an argument now, it's all about Puck and Rachel! Don't get me wrong Finn, I love her like my own sister, but where are we going? What about our relationship? I let it go long enough, I let us focus on Rachel and then Rachel and Puck, but when's enough?" Quinn let out everything she had been holding in since November.

"What are you talking about Quinn?" Finn asked, he honestly didn't know what he did wrong this time.

"What am I talking about? Finn, do you seriously need to ask that? When was the last time we actually went on a date all about us? Can't we go one _hour_ without _Puck_ this or _Rachel_ that. Come on now Finn! Don't you see what I'm saying? When are we going to move forward? We've been together since high school. We're in college. When will we _stop _worrying about your kid sister and start worrying about our future together?" Quinn seethed, trying to control the anger raging through her blood stream. Finn opened his mouth to speak, defend himself really but Quinn beat him to it. "You know what, never mind, take me home. We need to cool off, _I _need to cool off."

Finn nodded mutely, turning down her street. "I love you Quinn, I just want you to know that." Finn leaned over, trying to give her a kiss, but Quinn stayed out of reach. Sighing in defeat, Finn slumped back in his seat, watching Quinn get out of the car.

Finn drove home in complete silence, trying to figure out where everything went wrong. How his relationship went downhill and he didn't even know.

**_…_****...***...*****

Quinn stormed through her apartment door, she just couldn't stay in Lima with Finn. "Ugh! I can't fucking believe him!"

"Well your home early." Quinn's roommate reclined on their couch, flipping through the latest Vogue magazine.

"Yeah, of course I am! Finn and I fought..._again_! It's always about Puck and Rachel, never about us anymore and I'm done!" Quinn could feel the tears burning behind her eyes, she had yet to cry about her failed relationship with her high school sweetheart.

"Oh, don't I know about that..." She mumbled into the magazine.

Quinn rolled her eyes, sighing loudly, "Santana, you had no claim on Puck when he asked Rachel out. The most you were to each other was a fuck buddy when neither of you could find someone else."

Santana laughed loudly, "True and I guess we can thank the two fuck heads for introducing us, but anyways, what did he do now?" The Latina put her magazine down, turning her full attention to her friend.

"Oh you know the usual. Finn can't keep his trap shut about Puck and Rachel. It's always them; they left Lima last week and came back here and Finn, of course, blew a gasket. It's all he talked about when we were on our date. It wasn't even fair. Why am I even with him when he obviously cares more about them? I just..."

Santana sighed, "Just break up with him, he's no good."

Quinn gasped, "I can't just break up with him, we've been dating for five years! We've just...hit...a rough patch." Quinn nodded to herself, "Yeah, a rough patch. That's it."

"Yeah, whatever, then don't ask for my opinion. But when the jolly green giant breaks up with you, I'll be here with the shoulder and tissues. And maybe a few strong drinks." Santana winked as she stood up.

**...***...*****

"Do you have everything packed?" Puck shouted from the foyer of their shared apartment. The car had already been pulled up to the front of the building and they were supposed to leave 20 minutes ago.

Puck heard Rachel sigh, "Five more minutes Noah! I need to make sure we have everything for Pixie!"

"Fine I'm bringing our bags out to the car!" He heard a muffled okay, chuckling to himself, he threw most of the bags over his shoulder and opened the door. "Whoa! Dude, damn you scared me! What the fuck are you doing back so early?" Puck looked up to watch confusion sweep across his friends features.

"No, I think the question is, where the fuck are you going _now_?" Finn couldn't believe what he was seeing when Puck had thrown the door open. "You left Lima without saying one fucking word, and just now, you're leaving..." Finn dropped his bags and clenched his fist. "What the _fuck_?" Finn's jaw set, he wanted to scream, but that would only lead to a bigger fight.

"Dude... What's your problem? Calm the fuck down." Puck was trying to calm Finn down before Rachel could come out.

Rachel was in the back room, gathering up the rest of Pixie's stuff when she heard the yelling begin, coming out of her room, she headed to the front door. "Noah, who's at the door?" She caught the glimpse of her brother before Puck could turn around.

"Babe, stay in the other room." Puck didn't want her to see Finn this angry, or have Finn say things he might regret.

Finn pushed Puck out of the way so he could see Rachel. "No. Rachel stay, we need to talk..."

Rachel squared her shoulders and cut him off. "No Finn, Noah and I are leaving we're already running late."

"Where are you going?" Finn stood between her and Puck, not letting her see him.

Puck could see how tense she was, "Babe, I'll bring the bags to the car, I'll be right back for you and Pixie." Rachel nodded, and mouthed _I love you_to him.

Finn sighed as soon as he left, "Again, where are you going?" Finn repeated his question, his glare turning on her.

Rachel sat down on the couch, her shoulder's sagging. _Why can't anything be easy? Worry free? _She thought to herself. "I'm going to meet Noah's other grandparents. He really wants me to meet them, so we're heading to Connecticut." Rachel sighed, looking up to her brother.

Finn tried to figure out when his best friend had changed so much. Puck had literally gone from never being in a long term relationship to falling head over heels in love with his sister of all people. He also was questioning how he had _missed_ Rachel becoming so strong and independent. He huffed, upset with himself for being so blind. "What the _fuck_? Are you kidding me right now Rachel? Seriously, what makes you think I actually believe you? You need to be careful Rachel, I don't want you to get your heart broken, _again_. I've known Puck a hell of a lot longer than you have. Do you know _why_ he's buying you all these nice things and taking you to all these fancy places? He's using you. What don't you get about that? Now he's taking you to Connecticut to _meet_ his fucking _family_? That's all bullshit! He's taking you to Connecticut so he can have sex with you and dump you, like he does with every girl. I'm surprised he's continued the charade for this long!" Finn screamed at Rachel, not caring that tears were welling in her eyes.

Sniffling Rachel carefully thought about what Finn had said. She knew that Finn was speaking out of hurt, and confusion. Puck had told her about his grandparents and how they were very traditional and cold, but he felt it was necessary that she met them before they could move onto the next step of their so far fast moving relationship. Rachel had agreed, she wanted his family to be hers too, and she wanted that next step, whatever it was. "Finn, please, Noah's not like that. He _loves_ me, he cares about me. We have slept in the same bed since November and he's never once tried _anything_..."

"What! Since November? Why didn't you tell me?" Finn stalked a little closer. He should have _known_ that Puck would push his sister.

Rachel curled herself further into the couch, trying to get away from Finn, "It's none of your business. Finn. You don't need to know what Noah and I do behind closed doors in _our _room. But if you _must _know," she huffed, "He reads to me. We watch movies. He sings me to sleep. I help him with his homework. _Nothing_ is going on that I'm not ready for, or don't want."

"When did it become the both of your rooms?" Finn screamed, not really believing that in the little time they had dated, they were in the same room already. "You've been dating four months, that's a little ridiculous Rachel!"

"Finn! We've lived in the same house, it was only a matter of time before we moved into one room!" Rachel opted not to tell him about the apartment; that would only make this situation ten times worse. "You have to realize, I'm nineteen now. I can make my own decisions. If I want to sleep in the same bed as Noah, that is _my _choice. You don't get a say in that. I don't have to tell you what I do with my personal life."

"Enough Rachel Barbara Berry. You're acting like a child!" Finn continued to yell, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

Puck could hear the yelling from the stairwell as he exited it, afraid of what could be happening, he picked up his pace, entering as Finn threw his arms in the air. Looking past him, towards Rachel, he could see the tears in her eyes, the fear etched across her face, and her whole body coward away from Finn. "What the fuck is going on in here? I leave for five minutes and everything goes to shit!" Puck exclaimed, moving closer to both of them.

When Puck was close enough, Rachel shot up from the couch and ran around, avoiding all contact with Finn, to his side. "You couldn't have had more perfect timing." She mumbled into his chest.

Puck squeezed her closer to his side. "Baby, why don't you get Pixie and head out to the car." Rachel nodded, and left the apartment with Pixie. "I can't believe you! I wish you would just keep..." Puck stopped, his trademark smirk graced his lips as he continued on a different line. "You know, the only exercise you get is from running your mouth, jumping to conclusions and pushing your luck!" Puck turned around, planning on making a grand exit, but he had one last thing to say. "And Finn, maybe you should start looking for another apartment." Finn's face was priceless, a look of pure confusion, Puck put a smirk on and walked out the door.

Rachel sat in the car, waiting for Puck to come out, she grew worried after only a few minutes. When she had opened the door, a box was there with a little white and pink bow. She didn't want to open it until she knew it was for her to open. When the door open, Puck was already talking to her. "Don't worry about anything babe, I'm going to call and have the apartment furnished so we can stay there when we come home. I don't need you anymore stressed than what you already are." Puck noticed she was being quiet, he glanced at her seeing she was holding her present. "That's for you, open it."

Rachel played with the bow, "What is it?"

"Don't complain, it was something you needed and I acted on it." Puck smiled, "Just open it."

Rachel nodded and slowly pulled the bow off. When she finally opened the box, she saw a new white iPhone 4 nestled in purple tissue paper. Carefully picking it up, she also saw the white and pink Otterbox case she could put on it afterwards. "Noah..."

"I already put every one's contact information in it, including my parents and sister. I also took the liberty to put some apps on there and pictures that are on my phone. I didn't want you to feel like you had to go through me every time you wanted to make a call. Plus I like the idea that I can call you when I want to." Puck explained, touching her knee gently.

Rachel gaped at the sweet thought, to know he went through all this just so she could call someone when she felt like it. She had given up her old phone from Lima a long time ago, with no friends and not going anywhere she didn't need it. It was nice to have one now that she was becoming more and more independent. "Noah... I can't..."

"No. It's on my plan, it's not a big deal, you have Internet, and unlimited texting. So, on our way to Connecticut, why don't you play with your new phone?" Puck smirked as he started the car.

"Thank you," she said softy, leaning over to give him a kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too, babe."

**_…_*******...*****

"You want exit three, Noah." Rachel said, looking up from the GPS. Pixie was curled up on Rachel's lap, snoring lightly; she had made herself pretty comfortable as soon as they hit the highway.

Puck sighed, even though it was only an hour, it felt a lot longer than that. "Yeah, thanks." Puck was nervous that his grandparents would say something hurtful, like they always seemed to do. "Hey, call my parents and see where they are. Please?" Rachel made a quick nod, finding his mom's number in her contacts. "First call on your new phone." Puck commented, winking at his girlfriend as he took the exit that led him into the classy neighborhood that was Greenwich. He never really cared for this area, it always seemed liked people were all about showing off their money; Puck wasn't really used that. Sure Watch Hill was similar, but it was more hush hush.

Puck listened to the murmurs of Rachel talking to his mom, but he had tuned it out, concentrating more on finding the way to the house from memory. Rachel's voice broke though his thoughts, "She said they are a little more than an hour out."

Puck nodded, "I figured that, oh well."

Rachel watched the houses that they passed by, all of them where huge in her book. Bigger than Puck's parents and his Nana's. She didn't understand the need to buy such a huge house when only one or two bedrooms were being used. "Noah?"

"Yeah Rach?"

She sighed softly as they passed they turned down a more private road, with even bigger houses. "Why do people need such big houses? I mean, sure they must consider them _home_, but..." Rachel trailed off as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, biting it nervously. She didn't want to sound mean about, this is how he grew up.

Puck just laughed, "Well, the bigger the house, the more money you have. It's kind of like placing yourself in society. Of course it's not always like that. My dad's side of the family is wealthier than my mom's. But you don't see them flaunting it everywhere. And others around here are like them." Puck pulled into a long driveway that had a tall wrought iron gate, with _McCambell _scrolled through it.

"Oh, I see." Rachel gaped at the huge house that now sat in front of her. The lose stone driveway turned into a large turn around, with a perfect manicured lawn in the center. Also there was a gorgeous fountain, surrounded by seasonal flowers. Rachel stared up at the beautiful Colonial house was a stone grey, graced with classy white window frames with black shutters. And the front door? Was a solid piece of finished wood, giving it that old feel. Almost too perfect shaped hedges-that were currently bare, but you could still see the perfect shape-, and flowers lined the border of the house; the lawn was the same, all perfect. "Wow," Rachel breathed out, absolutely speechless at the beauty that was this house.

Puck shook his head. _Maybe I should have told her the history between us before we came out here..._Puck thought to himself as he parked the car. "Ready babe?" Puck unbuckled his seat belt and reached for Pixie, for the time being she would sit in the car. "I love you," Puck leaned over to kiss Rachel's cheek.

Rachel blushed at the kiss, she could see the curtains open, she didn't want to make a bad impression now. "As ready as I'll ever be." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, "I love you too Noah, I'm here because I do." Rachel smiled, hiding how nervous she was actually feeling. Her stomach was in knots, and she was sure she was sweating profusely.

Puck nodded, seeing right through her smile. Stepping out, he met Rachel at the front of the car and together they walked hand and hand to the front door. Before they could even touch the front step, the door was pulled open; an older woman stepped out in pink apron outlined in a black boarder. Underneath the apron she wore a pink shirt layered with the same pink sweater; all tied together with a black pencil skirt and black and pink spectator pumps. Rachel honestly has never seen so much black and pink in one outfit ever. Of course the woman's make up was perfect and her golden blond hair was curled and half pulled back. Rachel glanced away, she felt under dressed, she wasn't wearing any make up; all of this played on her already strong insecurities about herself.

"Noah! It is so good to see you!" The lady opened her arms, looking for a hug. Puck stepped up and embraced softly, not like he did when he saw his Nana. Rachel could already see major differences. When they pulled away, Puck didn't have a chance to talk, instead she jumped right in. "Hello..." she trailed off, sticking out her hand towards Rachel.

Puck sighed, "Grandmother, this is Rachel, Rachel Berry, my girlfriend." Puck watched as Rachel took her hand and shakes it gently. "Rachel, this is my Grandmother Elizabeth."

"It's very nice to meet you Eliza..."

"Mrs. McCambell." Elizabeth cut Rachel off, looking her up and down not so subtly.

Rachel snapped back in surprise, glancing quickly at Puck, she recovered. "Oh, yes, sorry. It's very nice to meet you Mrs. McCambell." Rachel smiled softly at the woman.

Elizabeth looked over at Puck, "Oh Noah," she shook her head sadly. "I don't know how planned to pull this one over my head." Elizabeth sighed just as sadly, getting ready to turn around and head back into the house.

Rachel glanced up a Puck, whose brow was scrunched in confusion and a frown instead of his smile. "What do you mean Grandmother?" Puck followed her into the house, gently pulling Rachel with him and tucking her into his side.

Elizabeth turned around once the door was shut; looking around she was hoping her husband would join her soon. "She's Jewish, isn't she?" Elizabeth asked Puck with sadness evident in her tone.

Puck felt Rachel stiffen the instant that sentence came out of Elizabeth's mouth. "Well I am also Jewish Grandmother, what did you expect? And I'm not with her because of her religion. We didn't even know the other was Jewish until our first date. I asked her out because she's beautiful, smart, a family woman and I love her. So back off." Puck seethed, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He noticed Elizabeth's stance was stiff and she looked pissed.

Elizabeth listened to her grandson rant, if it was her choice, she would have gotten the bride she wanted those two years ago. She lifted her chin, and swallowed the anger down. "I'll go find your Grandfather, please have a seat in the parlor. Tea okay?"

Both nodded slowly and watched as she walked away. Walking straight ahead, Puck led her across a small hallway that stretched either way. When they entered the next room it opened up into a large sitting room, dark hard wood floors went from wall to wall completing the light colored wall paper well. As they walked around the room, Rachel noticed on the desk was a framed pictured. She couldn't help but stop to look at it, especially when it was one of the only personal items in the home so far.

When she glanced down at the picture she held back the gasp that wanted to come out. In the picture, Puck stood in the center with the beautiful Latina she had seen many months ago, both in very formal clothing; him a tux, her in a tight red gown. The couples that stood on either side of them she could only assume were their grandparents.

Puck saw Rachel studying the picture on the desk, as soon as he saw the red in the photo he knew which one it was. Carefully placing his hands on her hips, resting his chin on her shoulder, "That was from two years ago, before my grandparents and I stopped talking. They know her grandparents from the country club;of course they're friends and thought it was wonderful their grandchildren came from the same small town**. **And then they found out we were the same age." Puck sighed, he might as well get this all of his chest now. "She fits the perfect mold of what _should_be my wife. I disagreed and all parties became upset." Shrugging his shoulders, Puck laid a gentle kiss on Rachel's neck; he could feel how tense she was. "I found the woman of my dreams and that's all the matters to me and my immediate family."

Rachel just nodded slowly, processing what Puck had just said. She knew he loved her but she couldn't help but doubt when people didn't see the love they shared. "Why don't we take a seat Noah," Rachel tried to twist out of his arms but he didn't let her, just held her a little tighter.

"Noah?" At the sound of Elizabeth's voice, both turned and looked up to the opening in the wall, where a small balcony was, giving a view of the upstairs. "While we wait for your Grandfather to end his call and the tea to boil, how about I'll show you where you'll be staying?" Elizabeth gave a tight smile to Rachel but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

"Let me go get our bags and Pixie. I'll be right back." Placing a quick kiss to Rachel's temple before walking away.

Rachel was a little mad that Puck had left her alone in a house she felt unwelcomed in. Shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously, she could see Elizabeth staring at her. Glancing up, Elizabeth huffed before walking away. Shaking her head, Rachel moved closer to the front door. Puck walked though juggling all the bags in his arms. "Noah, would you like some help?" She asked softly, afraid Elizabeth would pop up at some point and scrutinize her.

"No babe, I got it, just follow me." Puck looked behind him, whistling loudly, "Pixie! Come on Pixie!" Both Rachel and Puck laughed when Pixie's ears perked up and she came bounding in towards them. "Such a good girl." Puck whispered mostly to himself.

They made it up the long staircase, Pixie following closely next to Rachel, and down the hall towards the three out of the five guest bedrooms. Puck was hoping that they had the room with the queen size bed, after all, they were a couple.

When they walked into the room that had the door open, Puck wanted to scream. The room was quite large, with a large vanity on one wall and a walk in closet on another wall. Four windows gave a wonderful view of the back yard. But there were two twin size beds, separated by a nightstand with a lamp on it.

"If you need more pillows or blankets... Well Noah, you know where they are. And Pixie? She can stay in the basement..."

"Oh fuck no!" Puck cut her off, making both women in the room jumping and Pixie hiding behind Rachel. "The beds... Well I'll take care of that! As far as Pixie, she stays with us."

"Noah, it's a dog, it will get the area rug..."

"Oh stop it, she's a short hair, teacup poodle, she will not ruin your _area rug_." Puck moved the bags inside the room more.

Elizabeth watched her grandson move around the room as Rachel stood still just inside the door. As she walked towards the door, she stopped in front of Puck, a stern look gracing her features. "I will _not_ be talked to like that in _my _home all week. Get that _now_! As far as I care, you can take yourself back to New York." Elizabeth clenched her jaw, and let the disgust roll of her tongue, "I don't know what you and that little Jewish...that Jewish _whore_do at night, but I gave you two beds for a reason." With that, Elizabeth shot Rachel a glare as she pushed past her and stomped down the hall.

As soon as Elizabeth could no longer be heard, Rachel let out a breath and tried to relax her tense body. Puck came up next to her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to soothe her but tears were sliding down her cheeks, and sobs threatening to break through. Puck had only one thought running through his head. _Here we go, this is going to be one hell of a week_.

**...***...***...*****

Elizabeth stalked up the stairs towards the room her grandson was sharing with his _girlfriend_. She hated that term; she did not like this girl. Elizabeth only wanted one girl with her Noah and this _girl_ was not her. Scoffing she pushed open the bedroom door, only to find her table on the opposite end of the room and both beds pushed together. Puck and Rachel curled together with the small dog in between them. Moving across the room, Elizabeth roughly tossed the dog out of the way.

Puck woke up to the feeling of Pixie being moved and whimpering at whoever had moved her. Snapping his eyes open, he found his Grandmother moving about the room.

"What the fuck are you _doing_?" Puck sat up, reaching for the small dog. Unfortunately, in moving so fast to get Pixie, he jolted Rachel from her sleep.

Rachel sat up to see what made Puck move away from her. "What's going on Noah?" She asked groggily, letting the blankets fall away from her body, forgetting she never put a t-shirt on, sleeping in only a sports bra.

Elizabeth's eyes widen in seeing a bra clad Rachel, with a six inch scar along her rib cage. "Oh good, maybe she is just a charity case." She mumbled to herself.

Rachel could feel Elizabeth's eyes lingering on her scar, she shrank back into the bed, trying to cover them up. "It's from surgery," Rachel tried to explain one of her biggest insecurities.

Puck knew what the scar was from, it was just another part of her he loved. "What do you want?" Puck glanced at the clock and groaned, it was only five thirty in the morning.

"I just wanted to let you know coffee and breakfast will be ready shortly. Remember to be dressed properly and meet us in the breakfast nook, not the kitchen." Elizabeth turned on her heel, "That's in fifteen minutes." She threw over her shoulder.

As soon as the door shut, Puck collapsed with a sigh, "Have I told you how much I hate this place?"

"This was your idea Noah, not mine. Let's just get dressed and hope your mother and father actually make it today. I still can't believe their car broke down in Westbrook. Where is that Noah?" Rachel questioned as she moved around the room.

Puck sat up and watched as Rachel's hand lay across her scar. "On the coast line, we have to pass through it to get to Westerly. Hey, your beautiful Rach, and I love you so much." Puck tried to reassure her.

Rachel heard him but didn't really listen. "Hmm, maybe we can stop there next time? I love you too Noah."

"Maybe." Puck patted a now sleeping Pixie as he moved to put his clothes on. He had a feeling that today was not going to be fun or relaxing.

**…***...*****

"Morning darling, I just woke the kids. Did you know they _slept _together last night?" Elizabeth screeched towards her husband, who was already sitting at the table, reading the morning paper.

"Honey, I'm sure Noah wouldn't disrespect us to that extent. Give him a break, it seems like he found a great woman..."

"She's _Jewish_!"

"And so is he. What do you expect? You know he would never marry outside of his religion, it was always his plan to settle down with someone who believed the same as him." Jonathon looked up from his newspaper. "Oh by the way, that man from Ohio, you know St. James, is being released this week."

Elizabeth scoffed at her husband's changing of the topic, "That's nice darling." She busied herself around the kitchen, "You know, I still feel bad for that boy, they were dating. She just realized her mistake afterwards and called rape."

"Elizabeth." Jonathon looked up at her, warning her not to take the sentence further. She knew how much he disliked her saying that poor girl was just being mean.

Puck and Rachel headed hand in hand to the breakfast nook; Puck heard his grandfather's stern warning which could only mean his grandmother was still in her mood. "Morning Pops, Rachel this is my grandfather, Jonathon. Pops this is Rachel."

Rachel reached her hand out for a handshake but instead was swept into a hug. "Good morning Rachel, it's so very nice to meet you."

"Oh! Good morning Mr. McCambell..."  
"Now, now, you can either call me Jon or Pops, none of this Mr. McCambell stuff. Sit down, coffee?" Jonathon motioned to the coffee pot sitting on a pot holder.

"Oh, yes, please. Coffee would be wonderful," Rachel smiled at Jonathon; she could already tell she would like him better.

Puck watched the interaction, his heart warmed with seeing Rachel and his Pops getting along so well. When he glanced down table, seeing the paper opened to a random page but that random page happened to have a headline he couldn't let Rachel see. Quickly picking it up, he made a comment about another article. "Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!" Puck chuckled to himself. "Poor zoo keeper killed himself in Ohio and now his animals run free on the interstates. Imagine seeing the cheetah running next to you on the high way?"

Jonathon joined in with Puck's light laughter, but Rachel had a grief stricken expression, "Oh no! Are the giraffes okay?"

Puck could only shake his head, "They sure are babe, they're free!"

"That's not nice Noah!" Rachel dropped her voice to a whisper, "They were my friends..."

Elizabeth started laughing. "Exotic animals cannot be your friends dear, now let's eat." As soon as Elizabeth turned her back to the group, she realized she let the term of endearment lose, Elizabeth knew it was because she was just too caught up in the moment.

**…***...*****

"I told you we should of taken the Range Rover. This stupid piece of crap BMW! Never again will we spend our money on something like this!" Hanna complained, getting out of the car.

Aaron sighed; they had paid for a hotel in Westport while waiting for car to be fixed. Then again he saw it as a sign that maybe they just shouldn't be here. Her family didn't like him anyways. Aaron had suggested when the car had broke down that they just turn around and go home but Hanna had smacked him and reminded him that poor Rachel, his sons _Jewish_, girlfriend was there. "Yes dear, the next time _your_ parents suggest the expensive car, we'll go the opposite!"

"Well, yes, it's the only logical thing for us to do." Hanna smiled over at her husband before looking into the back of the car; Bridget was sound asleep, headphones in place. "Bridget, honey, we're here." Hanna gently coaxed her daughter awake as Aaron unloaded the bags. "Come on dear, I can see Grandmother and Grandfather at the door." Hanna smiled gently knowing how much Bridget loved her grandparents.

Bridget sat up, "Are Noah and Rachel here yet?"

"Yes, they were here last night. Let's go put our bags away and get settled in." It was close to two, which meant they had missed lunch but dinner would be served soon.

The door opened and Noah and Rachel stepped out of the house. Bridget jumped from the car upon seeing her older brother. "Noah!" She ran to him, nearly knocking him over with the force of her hug. She hadn't seen him since the funeral, and truth be told; she really missed him. "How long are you here for? How are you? I missed you. You haven't called me. Why haven't you called me?"

"Whoa Brig, breathe." Puck laughed as he hugged his sister. "I know I suck. We're here for a week. I'm doing good. I'm sorry I didn't call you. I've been busy with school and stuff." He kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you go on inside? Grandmother and Pops want to see you." Puck hugged his sister tightly for another second before letting her go to grab the bags. "Jeez, did you bring enough? You have like, your whole closet." Puck joked as he started carrying his sister's _four_bags into the house.

Rachel stood off to the side, waiting for Puck to finish greeting his family. She really didn't want to be in this place any longer but she knew it would be rude of her to ask to leave just as his parents and sister arrived; and she didn't want to give Mrs. McCambell a reason to hate her more than she already did. She felt something rub against her legs and bent down to pick up Pixie. "Hey Pix, what's up? You don't want to be here anymore than I do, huh?" Rachel asked her dog, scratching behind her ears.

"Talking to animals? You know they can't talk back, people will think you're going crazy. Then again I think you're already there." Elizabeth remarked in a scathing voice, pushing past her to walk outside to hug her granddaughter and daughter. "Bridget, darling. How are you dear?" Elizabeth asked her granddaughter, forgetting about her grandson and his _girlfriend_.

"I'm well grandmother. How are you? Do you like Rachel?" Bridget asked, hoping her grandmother loved Rachel just as much as the rest of the family did.

"I'm wonderful now that you're here. How about some pie? Are you hungry?" Elizabeth asked, leading Bridget into the kitchen, diverting the attention from the unanswered question.

**…***...*****

Rachel headed towards the stairs to the room that Noah and she were staying in. _Have I really gone insane? I've always talked to Pixie... Noah always talks to Pixie. _Rachel found herself thinking as she found a new outfit to change into, although the real reason was so she could cry in peace. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought of everything that had happened already; it was clear Noah's grandmother didn't like her but Rachel couldn't understand why. She didn't tell Noah, because she knew he'd be mad at her and she didn't want that. He shouldn't be mad at his own grandmother.  
Rachel stared at the blade that lay at the bottom of her suitcase. She always brought one-_just in case_. She was having such an awful time since they got back from Ohio, Rachel didn't think she could keep it together anymore. _He's going to be free...oh _god_, he'll find me. He can get to me again..._Rachel found herself in the corner of the room, shaking with tears falling from her eyes. He'd warned her that if she told anybody, he would kill her. He'd kill her whole family, make sure she _knew_ he was coming for her, and then kill her slowly. Rachel was so distraught, she didn't hear the knocking on the door that turned into insistent pounding as the person on the other side tried to get the door open, and realized it was locked.

"Young lady! I may not like you very much, but you _will_ show my family and I some respect. I invited you into my home against my better judgment because for some reason, my grandson likes your freakishly large nose and crazy personality. Open this door and get downstairs for tea, _now_. Or I will break it down and put you on the first bus back to New York." Elizabeth tried the door one more time, only to find it still locked. "Fine, stay in there. You can explain to Noah why _his perfect little girlfriend, _wasn't in the family picture!" Elizabeth laughed sarcastically before walking away.

Rachel sobbed harder, covering her ears, trying to unheard the words. Once she was sure Elizabeth was gone from the door, she crawled over and was going to unlock it so she could text Noah, asking him to hold her, when she saw his phone sitting on the bed. Instead, she went over to her bag and took out her razor; contemplating if life was even worth it anymore.

**…***...*****

Elizabeth walked downstairs after that _girl_ wouldn't open the door. _The nerve of some people,_ she thought, _you let them into your home, and they repay you by being rude._ She huffed and walked to where Noah was with his mother and father. "Noah, your friend is upstairs. She's locked herself in that room. I told her to come down for tea and she ignored me. I think it would be best if you went and got her. Maybe explain the rules of this household to her."

"What did you say to her mother?" Hanna asked her mother, glaring. She knew how her mother was, how sensitive Rachel was, and she had a feeling her mother played on that.

"Nothing dear, just that she needed to come down for tea," Elizabeth sighed, "Really, she can't follow simple instructions." Elizabeth shook her head.

"Grandmother, Rachel is my girlfriend. I would appreciate it if you could be nice to her. I will try to get her to come downstairs, but she didn't sleep well last night. She's probably tired." Noah said, leaving no room for argument. He walked up the stairs and tried the door only to find it still locked. "Babe? It's me. Can you let me in? I promise I won't make you go down there. We can stay up here until dinner. Please?" He knocked on the door lightly, getting worried when she didn't open it. "Come on Rach, for me? I'm sorry my grandmother sucks. We can go home tomorrow if you want." He was all but pleading with her, and he heard no movement from the other side. "Rachel, seriously. Open the door for me. Quit playing around. This isn't funny." He thought about banging on the door, but knew it would do no good.

Rachel sat against the bed trying to get her bearings. If she let him in, blade still in hand, he would be upset that she didn't just call for him. She knew there was a possibility he would be so mad that he might leave her. She couldn't open the door, not yet. Seeing what she was still in, found a pair of sweats and Noah's shirt to slip into. Sitting on the bed, she stared at the door, hoping Puck would leave soon.

Puck knew she wouldn't open the door yet, she needed to let herself think. Putting his forehead to the door, he sighed softly, "Baby, I'll be down stairs if you need me. I love you Rachel, so much. I don't care what other people say or think, I love you. I'll never leave you." Puck waited a minute to see if maybe she changed her mind but when she still didn't open up, he slowly stepped away and walked back downstairs.

When Rachel heard Puck retreat down the stairs, she quietly walked over and unlocked the door. Rachel felt more tears come to her eyes as she replayed his words in her head; she didn't deserve someone so understanding. Rachel saw her phone light up with a text, reaching over to see who it was, she saw the unknown number across the screen.

*****Hey baby. Miss me? I missed you. We have so much to catch up on. I'm coming for you.**

Rachel's hand hovered over her mouth containing the scream that wanted to come out. And couldn't be him, he wasn't supposed to be released for a few more weeks. She deleted the message before dropping the phone to the floor, letting sobs wrack her body. Slipping off the bed and onto the floor, she picked the phone up, typing a quick message to Hanna.

**_Can you send Noah up here, please? - Rachel*_

**…***...*****

Noah was livid as he walked down the stairs. "What did you say to her? What did you tell her? What did you _do_? She won't talk to me. She wouldn't open the door. I swear to god, if she hurt herself because of you, I will _never_ come back here again. I will _never_ consider you my grandmother again! What did you _tell _her?" He was fuming, and not at all caring that he was yelling at his grandmother, in her home, in front of his parents and sister.

"Young man. You knock that off, _now._ This is _my_ house. I can speak to her however I please. You need to show me some respect. It's not my fault you found a basket case."

"Rachel is _not _a basket case. She is _my girlfriend_. What is _your_ problem? Are _you_ that dense? Did you really think Santana and I would end up married? Seriously lady? We were only ever fuck buddies. She slept with all of Westerly and half of Warwick," he scoffed and rolled his eyes "Way to pick a fucking _whore_ for your grandson to be with." Puck stormed out of the room and the house before anyone could say anything more.

Just as the door slammed shut, Rachel came wandering down the stairs, tears in her eyes. When Noah hadn't come upstairs, she figured maybe Hanna didn't hear her phone or it was still in the car. "What's going on? Where's Noah?" Rachel could feel a panic attack coming on. She couldn't figure out if Pick had left or if he just didn't want to be with her.

"Rachel!"Elizabeth ignored Rachel and tore her out of the mid panic attack. Elizabeth had enough, something needed to change. "Go take a shower, you look like shit. Then, come back down here. We need to have a talk about my grandson's future and where you fit into it."

Rachel was taken aback at the harshness of her voice but nodded, going back up the stairs; maybe it would be a turning point in the trip, maybe Elizabeth would accept her. She could only hope, but then again she didn't want to get her hopes up..._again. _She curled up on the bed, staring at the wall, she needed to think. Looking next to one of the windows, she saw a picture she hadn't seen earlier. One of Noah and Santana. She felt the sobs coming, _they even look perfect together_. Looking at her phone she saw all the texts messages left all by the same person. She didn't want to believe it was him, not yet.

*****Hey baby. Miss me? I missed you. We have so much to catch up on. I'm coming for you.**

*****Hey baby. Pick** **up your phone.**

*****I'll find you.**

*****Have fun in Connecticut. It's the last trip you'll take. **

At that last message, Rachel screamed, sending Aaron and Hanna running up the stairs. "Rachel, Rachel. Sweetheart what's wrong?" Hanna asked, smoothing the girl's hair, realizing this was no longer just about Noah leaving.

"I need...Noah..." Rachel leaned into Aaron's side, letting Hanna stroke her hair. "Where is he? I need to go home." She had tears streaming down her face so fast she couldn't see anything.

"Sweetheart, he went out. He'll be back. I promise. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Hanna asked softly, to which Rachel just shook her head. "Do you want us to leave you alone?" Rachel shook her head at first but then nodded. "Are you sure?" Hanna asked, softly.

"No, can you please stay Hanna, just until Noah comes back? Please?" Hanna nodded, hugging Rachel's small frame close to her body, trying to soothe the poor girl who was shaking like a leaf. Aaron slowly stood and left his wife to calm down the girl he already thought of like a daughter.

**…***...*****

An hour after he left, Puck returned, slightly buzzed. He went to the first bar around and ordered a few shots; they helped, he felt calmer and lighter than he had since Rachel moved in. He noticed Bridget had taken post by the door most likely to alert the parents when he came in.

Instead he found her with tears brimming in her eyes. "Noah. You need to go see Rachel. She was screaming and crying after you left. I think something bad happened..." Bridget said softly, concerned for the girl she thought to be like her sister.

"'Kay Brig. Give me a minute." Puck said, going into the den. He couldn't let Rachel see he'd been drinking.

"No, Noah. Now! She needs you. She only wanted you, but you left. She's scared, and crying. I think something bad happened. She fell asleep shortly after mom went in there. I think she's still sleeping."

Puck sighed, and headed up the stairs. "Rachel, what's going on? Why're you crying? You've got Brig scared half to death." When he didn't get an answer he walked over to the bed sitting down, rubbing her back gently. "Rachel! Come on wake up, I'm home now." When he still got no response from her, he stood back up, all intention of going back down stairs.

Rachel woke up when she felt the dip. She kept her eyes closed though, she could smell alcohol and was instantly reminded of _him_. _He_ always smelt like alcohol. She felt like crying, only thinking of the last time he was drunk. She was left alone in a town she didn't know. It was happening all over again. "Noah, why are you drinking again? You know it makes me scared of you...After what happened last time you drank. Why would you do it again?" she whispered, hoping he would hear her.

Puck stiffened at her words, that night flashed in his mind. Taking a deep breath he went back to the bed, sitting down softly. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I just needed to get out of here. I'm sorry." Puck whispered, gathering her in his arms, rubbing her back and dropping gentle kisses to the top of her head. "I hate scaring you, I'm sorry." He felt her nod and kiss his neck, continuing his ministrations, "Can you tell me what happened?" He felt Rachel shake her head and point at her phone. He picked up her phone and read through the open messages. He could feel his anger growing more and more. Getting to the last one, he was _livid_. He couldn't believe he got a hold of her number, and he was either tracking it or someone they trusted told him where she was. "It'll be alright baby. It'll be alright. He won't get to you. I won't let him." Puck rocked her back and forth, holding her tightly to his chest kissing her head, cheeks and nuzzling his face into her neck. Assuring himself she was okay and for the time being she was safe.

"Noah, I have to tell you something," Rachel whispered, "Can you close the door first, please?"

Puck complied, slowly moving Rachel off his lap, quickly standing and shutting the door, locking it to be on the safe side. "Rach, what is it?"

"You're going to be mad at me. You're going to hate me and make me go back to New York." She looked down, staring at the blanket.

"Never princess. I'll never be mad at you or hate you. I promise. Now what is it?" He kissed the top of her head.

"I...I kind of..." she sighed, ashamed and showed him the razor that was hidden in the bedside draw.

"Oh baby, why? Why didn't you come get me? Did you cut yourself?"

"I tried...you left." Rachel whispered into his chest as he held her tightly.

"Where?" Puck really didn't want to see, but knew he had to so he could help her properly clean them.

Rachel shook her head, "No! I almost did. I was so close to just putting that blade to my skin and feeling the emotional release that I know comes with it and then I thought of you. And how you'd leave me because they only made me uglier. That your grandmother would get her wish and you'd finally be with Santana and I just couldn't let her win...not yet..." Rachel sighed, fresh tears coming to her eyes.

"You're not ugly. You can never be ugly. I don't want her. I want _you. _And baby you've already won, the moment I realized I loved you." He kissed her cheek gently.

"I love you too. C-can I show you something?" Rachel pushed away from him, not meeting his gaze. She trusted him, and needed him to know what she really looked like. "Wh-what I look like?"

Puck gently pulled her face back to meet his, "Babe, I know what you look like. Your beautiful, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. But show me, I'll always think that."

Rachel nodded and slowly stood up off of the bed. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled the shirt she had on off, showing him the long, older scar on her ribcage. Rachel watched as Puck stood up and ran his fingers over the long scar, caressing the skin there. Pulling her sweatpants down a little past her hipbone, she allowed him to see the ones on her lower stomach. She heard Puck's sharp intake of breath but never showed any sign of repulsion, he just let his fingers skim down her skin and caress those too. Rachel let her sweats fall to the floor, trying to show him the ones on the inside of her thighs.

Puck took in all the scars she was showing him. The only thing he could do was run his fingers over them and kiss the ones he could reach.

"Did they hurt?" Puck whispered.

"Some more than others..." Rachel admitted as she slowly pulled the pants down so he could see her legs. You could tell where she had cut some deeper than others, some more jagged.

"Babe," Puck looked at Rachel with tears in his eyes. "Is this because of him?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Well, after what he did to me, this was the only way I could live. It was the only way I could emotionally escape, it was all so much." Rachel collapsed into Puck's arms, burring her face into his neck. "And today, Elizabeth was so mean. Told me I was crazy and didn't know why you were with me. I wanted to _so_ bad! But I didn't want to go back there!" Rachel sobbed, she felt safe to cry about it now, she had Noah, _her _Noah.

"Shit babe, that's how she is. She says crap like that to everyone. I'm just sorry I didn't warn you. I thought she'd be nicer. Now come on, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" Puck helped Rachel pull her shirt and sweatpants back on and started to lead her down the hall to the bathroom.

"Noah, I'm sure she's capable of showering _on her own_. You know my house rules." Elizabeth spat at her grandson when she saw him leading Rachel into the bathroom.

"Elizabeth, stop it. Can't you see the poor girl is upset about something?" Jonathon said to his wife, guiding her back downstairs so Rachel could calm down without her there.

Puck guided Rachel into the bathroom and shut the door. He found her a cloth and wet it with some cool water, wiping her face of the dried and fresh tears. After finishing her clean her face, he knelt down in front of her, lifting her shirt, kissing all the visible scars, whispering 'I love you' after each kiss.

Rachel could feel her love grow for the man in front of her, every kiss made her glow. He replaced her shirt, standing back up and kissing her soundly on the lips. "I love you, forever."

"I love you too." Rachel smiled a true smile to Puck. He led her back down the hall and to their room. Once in, they were called down to dinner. "I don't want to go back down there."

"I know, I know." Puck hugged Rachel tightly, "I promise, we'll go home tomorrow. But for now let's get dressed."

"Do we have to be _dressed for dinner_?" Rachel asked softly, to which Puck nodded in response.

"I'm afraid so babe."

"Fine." Rachel sighed tiredly, pulling out a nice pair of dress pants and a long sleeved shirt, hoping that brushing her hair back and the light lip gloss would make her look okay.

**…***...*****

Downstairs, Elizabeth was waiting for her grandson and Rachel to come down for dinner. She had called them down nearly ten minutes ago. She had a surprise for Puck, one she was sure he would love and would send Rachel running at the same time.

"Grandmother, this dinner looks wonderful." A voice called from the kitchen.

"Oh dear, thank you. You were always too kind Santana." Elizabeth walked into the kitchen smirking.

"I have to say, I was surprised when you called and invited me to dinner. We haven't really talked since graduation. What brought this up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just Noah is in town, and I thought it might be nice for him to have someone to talk to at dinner besides his parents and grandparents." Elizabeth shrugged, leaving out the part where Puck brought his _girlfriend_. "Now dear, help me bring this food into the dining room please? And run up and tell Noah to come down for dinner."

Santana nodded and brought the salad to the table before running up the stairs to the room Puck normally stayed in when him and his sister would come to visit. "Puck," she said while knocking on the door, "Get your ass downstairs for dinner now." When she didn't hear a response, Santana opened the door.

As the door opened, Rachel looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry. We'll be right down..." her voice trailed off as she saw who stood in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Grandmother dearest invited me," Santana scoffed, "Why are _you_ here?"

"I'm Noah's girlfriend..." Rachel trailed off slowly, looking down. She wasn't ashamed, it's just that she was kind of afraid of Santana, and this house, and his grandmother; she wasn't feeling herself right now.

"Oh." Santana replied shortly, turning around. "Well, when Puck comes back in here, tell him it's time for dinner." She turned and walked down the stairs quickly.

**…***...*****

Ten minutes later, Noah and Rachel were both downstairs with Santana in between them. Rachel kept her head down as she slowly ate, praying nobody noticed how little food she was actually eating versus what was just being pushed around on her plate.

Santana truly did feel bad for Rachel. She knew how judgmental Elizabeth could be, and how sensitive Rachel was; and due to what Quinn told her about what happened back in their hometown, it wasn't a shock. So, when she saw Rachel pushing around her food, she nudged Puck and pointed at Rachel. Puck smiled sadly at Santana acknowledging what she was trying to tell him.

Elizabeth watched Rachel throughout dinner, she was barely eating anything. This made her upset. She took her time to make it. "Is my food not good enough for you? Is there something _wrong_ with it that I should know about?"

"N...no ma'am," Rachel whispered into her plate, "Just not very hungry. I'm sorry." She tried to hold back even more tears that she knew would fall anyways. Seeing a fork reach over onto her plate, she looked up confused. Seeing Santana taking a portion of her chicken, she smiled gratefully.

Elizabeth saw the food being passed from one plate to another and stood up, "So, it's not that my food isn't good enough for you, it's that you have an eating problem? Well Noah, you sure know how to pick them don't you? Good job," she huffed and walked into the kitchen.

Rachel sat there with her mouth open, crying. "I'm...sorry...I didn't mean to ruin...dinner," she hung her head and stood up, walking up to the room she and Noah were staying in. She didn't want to be here anymore, she wanted to be in New York and working on what was going on. She was tired of this woman doubting her. Her cell phone chirped again, tears finally falling when she saw what it read.

****Pretty swanky town for you, isn't it 'princess'?**

**…***...*****

After hearing his wife, Jonathon was upset. No, he was _livid_ at how someone could treat another human being. He watched Rachel go upstairs crying, and followed her to make sure she was okay. Even though the door was open, and he could hear her crying; he knocked anyways. "Rachel? Can I come in? I want to apologize for my wife's actions."

"O...okay," Rachel said tiredly, still staring at her phone.

Jonathon walked into the room, and upon seeing Rachel staring at the phone, tried to make a joke out of it; hoping to ease her discomfort, "Those damn phones are always more interesting than people, huh?" he asked, adding a chuckle on the end.

Rachel shook her head, "I'm sorry about dinner," she mumbled, "Could you please get Noah for me? We need to leave tonight."

Hearing the pure fear in Rachel's voice, Jonathon called for Noah to come upstairs and sat down at the edge of the bed, "What's the problem Rachel? Why do you have to go home tonight? Surely you can leave in the morning if you want to?"

"No, we need to leave _now_. It's not safe for me to be here...I can't be here anymore."

"Why not dear?"

"_He_ knows where I am. I'm putting you all in danger." Rachel was shaking with fear and sat down, leaning against Jonathon. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how he got my number. I don't know how he found me, but he did...I'm putting all of you in danger because of him. I don't know how he got out of jail." Rachel was crying and let Jonathon hug her until Noah came upstairs.

Puck came bursting into the room, frantic. "Rachel? What's wrong?" When she didn't answer, he turned to his grandfather.

Jonathan could only shake his head, he was confused as to who he was. He had no clue what the poor girl was talking about. "I-I don't know! Someone...guy...some guy is coming for her. Said we're in danger. He got out of jail? What's going on Noah?" Jonathan untangled Rachel from his arms and let Noah take her.

"Rachel, no. No he's not. No one's going to touch you. Baby, I won't allow it. Let's turn off that phone. We'll change your number..."

"He knows I'm here!" Rachel sobbed, clutching onto his shirt.

"Baby..." Puck was cut off by a knock on the door.

Bridget cleared her throat, "I wanted to make sure Rachel was okay..." Bridget came over to kneel by her, "Don't listen to her, I love you, my brother loves you, and our parents love you; we're who count. Come down for dessert. Santana is going to sing a song and mom made chocolate cake."

Rachel could only nod, she couldn't deny Bridget, "Okay Brig, we'll be down shortly. Noah, can we talk after that of when we're going to leave. I still want to leave soon. Go back to our home." Puck nodded, understanding she wanted to be out of here. Taking a shuddering deep breath Rachel stood to follow Bridget out.

**…***...*****

"Mother! Enough is enough! I will not sit through this! I did not come here to watch you ridicule the girl my son loves. Sure she is damaged but she is a good girl, and she loves Noah!" Hanna followed her mother into the kitchen, after seeing Rachel leave she felt horrible.

"I don't care! I already lost you..."

"You didn't lose me mother!" Hanna cut her off, furious that her mother would bring that into this.

"You changed religions..."

"It was easier mother! I loved Aaron enough to know it would be easier to raise children under one religion and he can't leave his! Get over it mother!" Hanna felt a hand on her shoulder, looking over to see Santana.

"It's okay Mrs. P, I would never love Puck like the way Rachel does. She's good for him and he's good for her. I'm sorry Grandmother, we're more like brother and sister now. I'll always love you guys though." Santana sighed, "Grandmother, can we have dessert in the sitting room? The one with the piano? I'd like to sing to them, to show Rachel I'm not a threat. And I've already sent Bridget to get them." Santana smiled, patting Hanna's shoulder before leaving the room.

"Get the plate's mother. I have the cake." When Hanna made it to the sitting room, Puck and Rachel were curled up on the couch, Bridget sitting by Rachel's feet, Aaron and Jonathan chatted lightly on common topics and Santana sat at the piano, softly playing an opening to the song she was about sing. Her voice captivating everyone on the first line.

_I heard that you're settled down_  
_That you found a girl and you're married now._  
_I heard that your dreams came true._  
_Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you._

_Old friend, why are you so shy?_  
_Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light._

Santana looked up from the piano, seeing Rachel smile softly at her. She was hoping that the point was across. She didn't want to be the threat she wanted to be a friend.

_I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited_  
_But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it._  
_I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded_  
_That for me it isn't over._

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you_  
_I wish nothing but the best for you too_  
_Don't forget me, I beg_  
_I remember you said,_  
_"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,_  
_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,"_  
_Yeah._

_You know how the time flies_  
_Only yesterday was the time of our lives_  
_We were born and raised_  
_In a summer haze_  
_Bound by the surprise of our glory days_

Puck knew this was Santana's way of waving a white flag, he would always love Santana as his best friend but he couldn't offer her anything else. His heart was not meant for Santana, he couldn't love her like he loves Rachel. Puck smiled to himself, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on Rachel's head.

_I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited_  
_But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it._  
_I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded_  
_That for me it isn't over._

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you_  
_I wish nothing but the best for you too_  
_Don't forget me, I beg_  
_I remember you said,_  
_"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."_

_Nothing compares_  
_No worries or cares_  
_Regrets and mistakes_  
_They are memories made._  
_Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?_

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you_  
_I wish nothing but the best for you_  
_Don't forget me, I beg_  
_I remember you said,_  
_"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."_

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you_  
_I wish nothing but the best for you too_  
_Don't forget me, I beg_  
_I remember you said,_  
_"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,_  
_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead." _

Santana took a deep breath, it felt so good to get that off her chest, she felt lighter, and now maybe they could move on. She could take Rachel shopping, maybe even get to know her as a friend, grow to love the person who so dearly loved her best friend, and brother in life. When Santana glanced around the room, Bridget smiled brightly at her, Rachel had tears in her eyes and Puck held her tightly; Hanna and Aaron were smiling at each other, lost in their own little bubble. Elizabeth had a sad smile on her face, and a single tear rolling down her cheek, Jonathan stood close, trying to comfort her. "I'm sorry Rachel, I hope you can forgive me. Maybe start over, be friends." Santana smiled gently, looking at Rachel.

"I'd like that Santana." Rachel tried her best to smile, _at least my night can end on a high note._ Rachel thought watching Santana move to sit next to Bridget, talking about the latest style, Santana included Rachel in the conversation with what they could do when they get back to New York. _I think I can handle having Santana as a friend..._

**A/N: The next chapter is the end of Hell Week...it was just too much to put all in one chapter. What did you guys think of this one?!**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Broken

Chapter 16 Hell Week Pt 2

**New York**

"Dad! She just left with him! They walked out; I don't where he's taking her or what! They...just...left!" Finn exclaimed. He had been pacing around the small apartment for an hour; he finally broke down and called his fathers, hoping they knew what to do to get her back.

"Finn, calm down. You have to let her live her life, if she wants to meet his family, then so be it. She's fine, I know for a fact that Noah would never let anything happen to her. Daddy and I have discussed what we saw while they were here. While I think they've moved a little fast, I see he would give his life before harm could touch her." Henry sighed; it was frustrating trying to calm Finn down. When he decided to be overprotective, it was hard to change to that frame of mind. Before Henry could continue, a knock sounded from the front door. "Finn, I'm going to have to call you back, someone is at the door. Your sister is safe, please stop worrying." Henry hung up before Finn could continue on with his little rant.

Finn threw the phone across the room; his father had taken Puck's side! Of all sides to take! Finn huffed, he didn't want to doubt Puck but every fear of his sister being hurt came back to the front of his mind. Finding the house phone on the end table, he dialed the familiar number of his girlfriend; he needed to talk to someone.

***~~~***~~~  
**Connecticut**

"Oh! There was this one time when we were in school, Puck tripped over his own two feet and fell right into this tray filled with the moldy bread. I swear I thought he was going to throw up!" Santana laughed, watching as Rachel cracked a small smile, giggling quietly. Santana wasn't kidding when she said she wanted to try to be the girl's friend. Tonight they had watched a movie, sharing stories of Puck and Finn when they were younger. Santana even painted Rachel's toes.

Rachel sighed, she couldn't believe how nice Santana really could be; she hadn't expected this at all, but it made her feel better, like maybe she could belong with her boyfriend's close group of friends.

"The new bathing suit line came out; we need to go get bikinis, because girl, we'll be at the beach all summer long!" Santana looked up at Rachel's now wide eyes.

"C-can I tell you something?" Rachel stuttered out.

Santana didn't know if this was going to be good or bad, but her gut was telling her bad. "Of course you can Rachel, your secrets are safe with me, I promise."

"Only my dad's and Noah know." Santana nodded warily, "I used to and sometimes still do, cut myself. I could never let myself wear a bikini." Rachel whispered, not sure if this was a good idea.

Santana wanted to cry for the broken girl sitting in front of her. "Rachel... We'll find you a super hot bathing suit; they do have those amazing one pieces now. We'll find one that makes Puck all hot and bothered." Honestly, Santana was trying to lighten the mood a little.

"We leased an apartment together." Rachel wasn't sure why she felt safe with Santana, maybe because she opened her arms and offered a smile to her. Maybe it was her offer of singing a white flag. Maybe it was because it was the first time she truly felt like she had a friend in someone.

Offering a smile, Santana sighed happily, "He really loves you Rach. I've never seen him act so serious with a girl than I have with you."

"I love him too you know." Rachel said a tad louder, feeling more confident. The girls giggled, turning their attention back to movie still playing.

Jonathon walked into the bedroom he shared with his wife, slowly sitting down in the bed. "Noah is leaving in the morning to head back to New York. Says he can't let Rachel be around this hostile environment. We're going to lose him..."

"Like we lost our daughter?" Elizabeth said, turning to look at her husband.

"We never lost her." Jonathon sighed. "Can't you see the love they share?" Slowly shaking his head, he laughed humorlessly, "Santana practically loves her already, and they're painting each other's toes as we speak. I don't know what you're thinking but I hope your making the right choice. Because I'm not losing either one of them." Jonathon stood up, taking with a pair of pajamas.

Elizabeth watched with wide eyes, "Wh-where are you going?"

"Right now, I can't look at you, never mind share the same bed as you. Good night Elizabeth." Jonathon quietly shut the door behind him, hearing the gentle cries of his wife. Of all the years of marriage, they had never spent one night apart.

Puck smiled at the sound of the laughter coming from the bedroom down the hall. The one Rachel and Santana were currently in, swapping stories and god only knows what else. Puck had ordered all the furniture for their new apartment. Including top of the line kitchen appliances for Rachel. He wanted to make sure her Thanksgiving Day plan could come true. Pixie looked up at Puck, giving him this hopeful look. "Yeah yeah Pix, we're going home. More importantly we're going to our new home." Pixie yapped happily, wagging her tail, "That's right, just the three of us, in the big apple." Puck patted the dogs head. "You can even have a room all to yourself. Promise." Pixie barked loudly, jumping against Puck's leg. "Well then help me pack and we can leave."

Rachel stood in the doorway, smiling. "Are we really leaving tomorrow? And we get to go the new apartment?"

Puck jumped slightly, turning around to find Rachel staring at him. "Baby... It's our new home silly. Are you excited?"

Tears formed in her eyes, "What are we going to do?" She tried to hold in her sob.

"We'll figure it out, call the cops, change your number, not have a land line and if we do, we'll keep in unlisted. Rach, baby, we'll figure it out." Puck walked across the room and let Rachel fall into his arms. "Let's go to bed, everything's packed, and we'll head out of her first thing in the morning. How was Santana?"

Rachel smiled into her boyfriend's chest, "Wonderful Noah. I felt like I could confide in her and she wouldn't judge me. She said we could go shopping and have some girl days, and maybe have some sleepovers. She's happy that we're happy. I think maybe we could best friends, just maybe. We'll see how it is when we get back to New York, you know? Trust her..."

Puck caught her lips in a gentle kiss, "I get it baby, I really do. Come on princess, bed time."

Puck woke the next morning to Rachel trying to smoothly roll out of his hold, tightening his grasp on her waist, he rasped out a good morning.

"Oh! I'm sorry Noah; I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just going to let Pixie out for a little while and feed her..." Rachel whispered, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"No..." Puck pulled the best whiny voice he possibly could, trying his hardest to convince Rachel to stay in bed for a few extra hours. "Stay in bed."  
"Noah, no, Pixie needs to go out." As if on cue, Pixie let a little whine followed by scratching on the door. "See, she needs to go out."

Puck reluctantly let her go, "Fine, fine. Go. But I'm going to start loading the car up, we can leave as soon as you've ate breakfast."

Giving him a small smile, Rachel turned on her heel to take Pixie out. As Rachel stepped off the last step of the stairs she came face to face with Elizabeth.

"Rachel," Elizabeth breathed out. What could she say to the girl who had captured her family's hearts but she has so far treated very poorly. "I...I..."

"I need to let Pixie out." Rachel ducked her head and quickly walked around her, not bothering to wait to see what he had to say.

Jonathon was seated in his usual spot at the breakfast table, reading the morning paper and drinking his coffee when Puck walked through the door.

"Morning pops, what's good this morning?" Puck laughed when Jonathon looked up from his paper, brow raised.

"I helped raise you better than that. But nothing. No good news in the world, muffins are fresh from the bakery though. You know how much I like those muffins." Jonathon held up the half eaten blueberry muffin, "Now this is good eats."

Puck shook his head opting for a banana. "You'll have to come out and visit the new apartment..."

"Ah yes, you were saying something about that the other night, I hope you made a good investment." When the family cut ties in Pucks senior year, Jonathon never thought he'd get to see this part of his grandson's life.

"Of course I did!" Puck took a small sip of his orange juice. "I'm sorry we're leaving on such short notice but I refuse to put Rachel in any situation that could cause her more harm. We'll be leaving very shortly." Puck paused, gauging his grandfather's mood before saying his next statement. "I see my dad is packing up too."

Jonathon took a deep breath, putting the newspaper aside and taking a glance at his grandson. "Yes, well, your parents were here for your support. Aaron doesn't feel comfortable staying here especially after all that's gone down these last few days and well, you remember what happened in the past. All I can say is that I'm the one that's sorry. I do not approve not appreciate all that Elizabeth has said and or done. I can only wish that you will keep in touch with me, I will always be there to support you." Jonathon couldn't make eye contact with Puck, he was afraid of rejection even at his age.

Puck was touched that his grandfather was showing how he really felt; grasping his grandfather's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "Don't worry, I will make sure to call or email when I can. I know what comes out of grandmothers mouth is not your fault, and I don't blame you."

**A/N: This is the end of Hell Week. Sorry this chapter is so short. This is the other chapter I really hated, and even now, I can't bring myself to add more to it. **


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Broken**

**Chapter 1****7****\- Enter Sandman **

**A/N: I remember that I struggled to get this chapter and the next few out.****O****nce Cory Monteith passed, I almost didn't feel right writing Finn; ****especially the way I was writing him,**** and struggled with it a little bit. The songs that inspired this chapter were: "Fix You" by Coldplay (can this song be part of the ****_Broken _****anthem), "Lullaby" by Nickelback, "She Says" by Howie Day, "Little Things" by One Direction and "Wake Me Up" by Ed Sheeran. The title comes from Metallica. As usual, I own nothing. Xoxo**

**Puck & Rachel's - New York**

When Puck and Rachel made it back to their new apartment in New York later that night, Puck noticed that Rachel seemed more quiet than normal. He let her sit on the couch and stare at the blank wall where there TV would be tomorrow morning. He sat next to her quietly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "It'll be okay Rachel. I promise, he won't get to you. Have you told your dads or Finn yet?" Puck questioned, knowing that her dads would need to inform Lima PD about this incident.

"No, I haven't. I haven't told anyone, only you," Rachel whispered, "And you can't tell Finn. He would kill Jesse and then he would be in jail." Rachel looked at Puck and gave him a stern look, effectively letting him know that she meant business.

Puck nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Come on beautiful, let's get to bed. Tomorrow we'll change your number. I promise." Puck stood and gently pulled Rachel up with him.

"That won't help Noah. He'll still find me. I'll call my dads in the morning and let them know what's going on. Right now, I just want to sleep." Rachel yawned loudly, showing Puck just how tired she really was. Getting to their room, Rachel stood in front of the bed staring at it for a moment before shaking herself out of her stupor and getting changed into her sweatpants and t-shirt. Climbing into bed after Noah, she snuggled closer to him, sighing happily.

"Can I ask what that little moment inside your head was a couple of minute ago?" Puck asked nervously, afraid that Rachel was having second thoughts about moving in with him. He would admit that it was a little soon, but with the way Finn was acting lately, Puck wanted Rachel to have a little separation from that situation.

Rachel nodded slightly before looking up at him, "Promise you won't get mad?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I could never be mad at you babe. What's wrong?" Puck asked, his nerves taking over his body.

"It just hit me that this is really our first night together, _alone_. Sure, we lived together before, and we always slept in your room, but this is different..." Rachel trailed off, looking off to the side, not wanting to see if Puck was upset. When he didn't say anything, Rachel continued, "Logically I know nothing has really changed with us and that I'm completely safe with you, but I just - I can't help but worry about what would happen if we got into a fight, or if you got upset with me," Rachel paused and felt Puck's eyes on her. He was staring at her like she was crazy, but what made her lose her breath a little bit and caused her heart to skip a beat was the sheer look of love he had as he looked at her.

"First of all, we're not completely alone. We do have Pixie here," as soon as Puck mentioned her name, Pixie let out a little bark from the end of the bed, causing both Puck and Rachel to laugh before Puck continued, "and second, while I don't think I would _ever _be upset with you about anything, and I _highly _doubt that we will ever fight over something more than taking out the trash or doing the dishes, if we did I would never do anything to hurt you or make you think that I would. I care about you way too much to even think about you being scared of me." Puck kissed Rachel's forehead and rubbed her back soothingly, and for a moment she was so quiet that he thought she fell asleep.

"Thank you Noah," Rachel said quietly before kissing him softly, "You're wonderful and I love you."

…*****...***...*****

Puck looked at the sleeping girl in his arms before looking at the clock on the night stand. _2:05_ is what it read. Rachel stirred slightly and Puck kissed her forehead before pulling her closer to him. Even in her resting state, the stress that was etched on Rachel's face was heartbreaking. He thought back to the conversation he had with his grandfather while he had Rachel packing up their things to come back home after all of the text messages she received from Jesse. Puck prayed that his grandfather really would be able to help them out.

"_Pops, look. The thing is...that guy in Ohio that grandmother is always going on about how she feel sympathy for-" Puck paused for a moment and ran his hand over his head before sighing, trying to figure out the right words to say, "the thing is; that guy was Rachel's ex-boyfriend. It was _her_ that was attacked that night. And somehow he got a hold of her brand new cell phone number and has been texting her all night. That's why she's so freaked out. He's sent her things that make us think he's watching her. I can't have Rachel scared for her life anymore than I can have her around someone who makes her feel worthless." Puck let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and looked at his grandfather with tears in his eyes. _

_Jonathan nodded his head slowly, thinking about his next words, "I figured that the issue had something to do with that _monster_, what with the way you reacted when you saw that article and tried to change the topic as soon as Rachel walked into the room. You know I don't have the same views on the situation as your grandmother, and I want to do what I can to help you, and Rachel. I can tell how much you love her. Here's what I think your next steps should be…"_

Puck was brought out of his thoughts by Rachel tossing and turning in the bed next to him. It pained him to see her like this. She had been doing so well and making so much progress and this whole _Jesse _incident just pushed her back months. He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, "Rach, babe. Wake up, you're safe." Puck ran his fingers through Rachel's hair and tried to coax her out of her nightmare before she became trapped in it."Baby, wake up. You're okay. It's just a dream."

Rachel's thrashing became worse and Puck felt his heart break a little bit more when he heard her mumbling his name, "Noah...no...Noah...Noah...no,"

Puck swallowed back tears as he pulled Rachel close to him and rocked her back and forth, whispering comforting words in her ear, "I'm right here Rach. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, so much. I love you and I'm never going to let anyone hurt you ever. Just please wake up for me?" Puck looked over at the clock again and saw that it read _2:40am, _if Rachel didn't wake up by 3:00, he would have to call Finn. Puck really didn't want to have to do that, seeing as they hadn't left things on the best of terms, but if that's what he had to do in order to help Rachel he would.

...***...***

Waking up at three in the morning to a phone call is never a good thing, or good news. So when Finn could hear the shrill of his cell phone going off on his night stand slowly bringing him out of a peaceful dream, he knew not to let it go to voicemail. Blindly he searched for the source of the sound, finally being able to answer, his voice still full of sleep. "Hello?"

"Finn? Dude wake up! I need your help!" Hearing Puck's voice on the other end of the early morning phone call was like a cold shower to Finn.

Shooting straight up in bed, Finn prepared himself for the worse. "What's going on? Where's Rachel? Is she okay?" He rambled off, the worry for his sister growing.

"She's having a nightmare. I can't get her to wake up! She's been thrashing around for over 20 minutes! Even Pixie left the room." Finn could hear the panic in his voice as his friend tried to explain what was going on.

Finn sighed, relaxing a little. "Have you tried singing to her? Something soothing of course. Whenever it happened earlier on in this whole mess, I'd sing her a lullaby and rub her back. It'd usually work; calm her down some, enough for her to fall back into a deep sleep."

"Really? A lullaby? Alright, rub her back and sing her a lullaby? Right?" Hopefulness filled Puck's voice; Finn knew Puck hated to see Rachel in any discomfort, just like him.

"Yeah dude. Be patient though, it might take a little while. Especially if she's been like that for some time. You can handle it?" Finn slowly eased himself back into the pillows on his bed. Still thinking of getting dressed to see for himself.

"I think so, I'm gonna go. See if it helps. I can call you back if it doesn't?" Puck asked in a questioning tone.

"Of course. And even if does, shoot me a text so I won't worry all night." Finn said a quick goodbye, allowing Puck to go tend to his girlfriend.

As Finn lay in bed, he thought of how things have truly changed. How much his sister has changed. She went from being stuck at home, not stepping foot close to the door, to moving to New York for a scenery change. Yet it all changed drastically as her and Puck became close, and now they lived together in a new apartment. Puck had taken over what he used to do; comforting Rachel in times of need. Finn almost resented Puck. But he let that thought drift from his head as he fell back to sleep. Because no matter what, Finn would be her big brother, which meant they would always love each other.

...***...***

Puck sighed and thought about what song he could sing to Rachel, "I could always sing _Hush Little Baby_, that's a lullaby, right?" Just as Puck started to sing the opening lines to the children's song, he heard a pitter patter of puppy feet come running into the room and start growling at him, "What _Pixie_? You don't approve of the song?" When Pixie growled and yipped at Puck, he rolled his eyes and sighed, looking down at the tiny dog. "Fine, what would you suggest _oh wise one," he_ asked the dog sarcastically. Pixie yelped happily and ran over to the small stack of CD's Puck had brought with him. Knocking over the pile, Pixie grabbed a CD in her mouth and brought it over to Puck, wagging her tail proudly. "Nickelback...kind of douchey don't ya think Pix?"

Pixie growled and nipped at Puck's hand before jumping up on the bed and curling up to a still thrashing Rachel, trying to calm her down. Sobering up at the sight of Pixie, Puck remembered the important issue at hand, and quickly glanced at the CD case before seeing the perfect song to sing.

_Well, I know the feeling_

_Of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge_

_And there ain't no healing_

_From cutting yourself with the jagged edge_

_I'm telling you that, it's never that bad_

_Take it from someone who's been where you're at_

_Laid out on the floor_

_And you're not sure you can take this anymore_

Puck started rubbing Rachel's back and running his fingers through her hair as he made it to the first chorus, his voice shaking a little bit with emotion. He would never admit to Finn, _ever_, or Rachel, if she asked, but he was so scared that he wouldn't be able to protect her, or that he wouldn't be _enough _for her. As much as he tried to act like he had it together and he knew what he was doing with her, it was moments like this where he had to call Finn that proved just how out of his element he was with her.

_So just give it one more try to a lullaby_

_And turn this up on the radio_

_If you can hear me now_

_I'm reaching out_

_To let you know that you're not alone_

_And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell_

_'Cause I can't get you on the telephone_

_So just close your eyes_

_Oh, honey here comes a lullaby_

_Your very own lullaby_

_Please let me take you_

_Out of the darkness and into the light_

_'Cause I have faith in you_

_That you're gonna make it through another night_

_Stop thinking about the easy way out_

_There's no need to go and blow the candle out_

_Because you're not done_

_You're far too young_

_And the best is yet to come_

Feeling Rachel's pulse start to slow, and her movements stop, Puck finally started to relax a little bit, feeling that he was doing _something _right with her for once. While Puck knew that he wasn't doing anything _wrong_, it seemed like her panic attacks were coming more frequently and were lasting longer; and Puck knew that wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but feel responsible because he's _in love _with this girl, and the thought of her being in pain or hurt makes him feel like a failure.

_So just give it one more try to a lullaby_

_And turn this up on the radio_

_If you can hear me now_

_I'm reaching out_

_To let you know that you're not alone_

_And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell_

_'Cause I can't get you on the telephone_

_So just close your eyes_

_Oh, honey here comes a lullaby_

_Your very own lullaby_

_Well, everybody's hit the bottom_

_Everybody's been forgotten_

_When everybody's tired of being alone_

_Yeah, everybody's been abandoned_

_And left a little empty handed_

_So if you're out there barely hanging on..._

_Just give it one more try to a lullaby_

_And turn this up on the radio_

_If you can hear me now_

_I'm reaching out_

_To let you know that you're not alone_

_And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell_

_'Cause I can't get you on the telephone_

_So just close your eyes_

_Oh, honey here comes a lullaby_

_Your very own lullaby_

_Oh, honey here comes a lullaby_

_Your very own lullaby_

At the end of the song, Puck kissed Rachel's forehead and rocked her a little bit longer, hoping that this actually did work, and that he wouldn't have to call Finn for more back up.

"Noah," Rachel whispered sleepily and buried her head into his chest a little bit, "thank you."

Puck sighed in relief and pulled her impossibly closer to his body, "Of course baby. You okay now?" He turned on the little lamp next to their bed, and picked up his phone to text Finn.

"I think so. It was so scary and so real. I could hear you talking to me, but I couldn't wake up…" Rachel trailed off and looked away from Puck in embarrassment.

Gently, Puck turned her head back to his and kissed her forehead. "Never, ever, be embarrassed. This is _not _your fault. Now, are you _positive _that you're okay? Do you want me to call Finn? I can have him come over here or bring you over there if you need him."

Rachel shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. I'm with you. You'd never let anything happen to me," she said softly before kissing him gently on the lips.

Puck smiled at her tenderly, "Of course I'd never let anything bad happen to you."

…*****...***...*****

Across town, Finn was sitting up anxiously awaiting news about his sister. When he heard his phone buzz, he nearly fell out of bed trying to get to it to see if there was a message from Puck.

**-Rachel is fine. Asked her if she wanted me to have you come over, and she said not right now. Maybe we can stop by later today? Like, maybe late afternoon? - Puck**

Finn let out a sigh of relief knowing that Rachel was okay. While he didn't doubt that Puck could help her and take care of her, Finn understood how stressful and nerve wracking it was to deal with Rachel when she was stuck in the middle of one of her nightmares. Finn sent a quick reply back to Puck before finally settling in for the night.

**-Yeah, come by later. I need to apologize to her. I feel awful about the last time I saw her. Give her a hug for me. -Finn**

Knowing that his sister was safe for the time being, he turned off his light and closed his eyes, trying to think of who could have given Jesse his sister's phone number

…*****...***...*****

"Who'd you text, Noah," Rachel asked sleepily, her head resting on her boyfriend's chest.

"Just Finn. Letting him know you were okay," Puck looked away from Rachel embarrassed, "I kind of had to call him to get advice on how to help you. I didn't know what to do, and I was a little bit scared."

Rachel kissed Puck's cheek and smiled brightly, turning his head towards her, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Why don't we go back to sleep for a little while and we wake up again, I'll make us a kick ass breakfast…"

"Actually I'd like to take a crack at breakfast in the new kitchen. I mean, if you don't mind." Rachel cut off Puck.

Smirking, very proud that his girlfriend was willing to step out of his comfort zone. "Absolutely! I want you to cook in your kitchen for however long you want."

Trying to stifle her yawn, Rachel thanked her boyfriend before lying back down for some more sleep.

****A/N: This was a chapter that I loved once it was finished, but I had to force out. I sat on Google Docs with my best friend for a solid two weeks trying to get this right...that was when multiple people could be working on a doc at the same time. Fun times those were. ****


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Broken**

****A/N: We're almost done with the pre-written portion of this story :) I'm 5 pages deep into Chapter Twenty-four...eek! Can't wait for you all to read it; and the rest of the story!****

**Chapter 1****8****\- Lights Will Guide You Home **

"Are you sure Finn is expecting us?" Rachel asked nervously, holding the plate of freshly baked muffins.

"Yes Rach, I'm _sure _he's expecting us, I just don't he's expecting us _this_ early." Puck sighed, answering his girlfriends question for what seemed like the millionth time in the past hour.

"Noah," Rachel huffed out, "I just want to see my brother, okay? We didn't exactly leave things on the best of terms with Finn when we left."

"Not like that really matters. The apartment _is _technically mine. I can come and go as I please." Puck knocked on the door not seeing the look of shock and realization that crossed Rachel's face when she remembered the fact that her boyfriend held the power to displace her brother.

"Right, but Noah, you wouldn't ever just-" Rachel began, but didn't get a chance to finish the question because Finn chose that moment to answer the door. _You would never kick my brother out just because we're not living there, right, _the question kept replaying over in her head.

Finn scratched his head, looking at that pair standing in his doorway. "What are you two doing here so early?"

Puck sighed, "Sorry man. I know I said we'd be over later, but Rach couldn't wait."

Rachel pushed past her brother, "it's ten thirty Finn, it's time to get up! I made blueberry muffins for breakfast." She replied cheerily.

Finn shook his head trying to concentrate on his sisters words. "You baked?" He turned to look at Puck, "She baked?" Puck could only shrug in response. "Rach…" Finn trailed off, amazed at the changes in his sister.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders at Finn, "I don't know. I just felt like it. It's been interesting the past few days. I feel more free than I have in a long time. I have a place where I can do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. It made me feel a little bit free."

Finn frowned slightly. _She could've been free here. Was it really so awful living with me, _he thought to himself. "Huh… Well that's good. I mean better than good, that's amazing Rach. I'm glad you're happy. I've missed you being happy." Finn smiled sadly, "And I've missed your baking." He grabbed a muffin and shoved it in his face.

"I hope they're okay…" Rachel trailed off nervously, "I'm not really used to that oven yet. I think I may have left them in a little bit longer than necessary." She bit her lip as she picked up a muffin scrutinizing the golden brown top.

"Babe, seriously. They're amazing," Puck told Rachel, dropping a kiss to the top of her forehead.

Rachel beamed up at her boyfriend, "Thank you Noah."

Finn smiled at his sister, happy to see that she was _finally _back to her old self, if only momentarily. "For real Rach, these are probably the best muffins you've ever made."

Just as Rachel was starting to relax and feel confident that this little meeting would be somewhat productive, and wouldn't end in a screaming match, she felt her phone buzz. She warily looked at the screen, tensing slightly, when she saw who the message was from.

**-Don't get too cozy in that new apartment babe **

Letting out a strangled cry of horror, Rachel dropped her phone to the ground and ran to her (old?) room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell was that about?" Finn asked in surprise.

Puck picked up the discarded phone and looked at the screen that was still on her last message. Looking at it had Puck seeing red, "I think I know why," he managed to growl out.

Finn snatched the phone out of Puck's hand, looking at the first message from Jesse, as he was getting ready to ask Puck just what the _fuck _was going on, another message came through.

**-I can't wait to see you again. Soon babe, soon**

"What the _fuck _is going on Puck? Why is she getting text messages like this? Are these from who I _think _they're from...and if they are why haven't you _stopped _them yet? You're supposed to be protecting her, not letting her get scared to tears. Is this why you two came back from your little _vacation _to Connecticut so fast? Because of this? How long has this been going on? Why haven't you _told _me about this? Does anyone know?" By the end of his string of questions, Finn was pacing and yelling so loud, the entire floor could probably hear him.

"Listen dude, Rachel was going to tell you. That was part of why we came over today. I'm handling the situation okay? As soon as we get done here, we're going to have her phone number changed," Puck stated calmly, trying to get Finn to calm down and think about this with a level head.

"Rachel didn't want to _tell me?!_ What kind of bullshit is that? She's never hidden anything from me. She tells me _everything_. We don't have any secrets with each other."

"Clearly," Puck mumbled under his breath, "Because she totally told you about her asshole boyfriend." Really, Puck didn't mean for Finn to hear him, but he _did _mean what he said. If Rachel and Finn were so close, and didn't hide anything from each other, no matter what, why didn't he know? Why didn't he realize something was wrong with her sooner?

"Dude, that's different. That's not the same and you know it."

"How is it different? I'm just confused Finn. I get that Quinn tried to tell you, but if you and Rach have always been _so _close, how come you didn't believe Quinn when she told you her suspicions? Why didn't _you_, her own brother, see what was going on right under your nose, practically in your own house. You put a lot of shit on me for not _handling _this right now, but you didn't handle it for how many fucking years Finn? You basically ran away because you couldn't deal with it, deal with her. Do you know how scared that had to have made her? The _one _person who gave her comfort left her to deal with this big, scary ordeal all on her own. Now, I'm going to check on _your _sister, who you clearly love so much, because she's probably having a panic attack about all this yelling right now. But, you'd know that, right?"

…*****...***...*****

In her old room, Rachel could hear Puck and her brother fighting, and it just made her chest tighten even more. This is _exactly _what she didn't want to happen today. She didn't want any fighting. She just wanted to be able to talk to Finn about what had happened before they left to visit Puck's grandparents, and the text messages she had been receiving. She didn't want any yelling, or Finn accusing Puck of anything, or Puck accusing Finn of anything. Even if what Puck said to her brother was mostly true. That _was _how she felt when Finn left for New York. She was so scared, and barely keeping her head above water, and then her life saver that was keeping her afloat just left her without warning, and she could feel herself drowning more and more every day, constantly worrying that one day she wouldn't be able to fight back to the surface.

She heard a soft knock on the door and let out a quiet sob, trying to hold it in, not knowing which of the two most important men in her life was on the other side of the door. For either of them to see her like this was simply heartbreaking to her.

"Rach, it's me. Can I come in, please," Puck asked quietly.

"It's unlocked," Rachel whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes when she heard the door slowly creak open and Puck walk in. "I heard you two yelling at each other. I hate that you're losing one of your best friends because of this, because of me. Sometimes I think if I never would have come here, none of this would have happened. I mean, clearly, Jesse never would have gotten my phone number, because I wouldn't have a phone. Finn and Quinn wouldn't be fighting all the time. You wouldn't have had to leave an apartment that you clearly love. I just feel like this is all my fault, and I don't know how to stop any of it Noah. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so _scared _about this. I'm afraid that one day he'll just show up at our door, and what if I'm alone? I can't protect myself from him.

"I never meant for Finn to get so upset for us keeping this from him. I was doing it for his own good. I didn't want him to have to deal with _this _stress on top of everything else he has going on right now. I was trying to be a good sister and protect _him _for once. He always tries so hard to protect me; I just wanted to do this one thing for him."

"Rach, deep breath. You're going to send yourself into a panic attack. It's all going to be okay, none of this, and I mean it _none of this_ is your fault. If anyone is to blame, you could blame it on me. I said we'd sort everything out when we got back to New York. We'll change your number, if he knows our new address we'll have him brought up on stalking charges. As for the being alone? I would _never_ leave you by yourself if that's how you feel. You know the guys will protect you…" Puck trailed off, not sure how else he could make her feel better. Puck gathered Rachel in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly as she continued to cry. He could still hear Finn pacing the floor.

"I…just want to feel safe. I want to feel like I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder. Do you know how it feels to constantly live in fear? To think what will happen when all this catches up to you and you have nowhere to hide? No one to run to..."

"But I'll always be here for you. I'll always hold your hand and stand beside you. Just because some crazy, abusive ex is stalking you, doesn't mean I'm going to run in the opposite direction. Just because you're used to people turning the other way and playing blind eye to shit doesn't mean I will."

"That's sweet Noah, really, but you can't be there, next to me, holding my hand every single day of every single minute. You have classes and friends. Things I've never experienced." Rachel sighed softly, burying her head further into Puck's chest.

"You can have that. You have the first half. You have friends, you can take classes…"

Rachel laughed humorlessly, "With a crazy ex stalker after me? No thanks."

…***...***...***

Finn couldn't stay in that apartment a moment longer. He felt a little too constricted, like he couldn't think properly. He couldn't believe he let this get so far, how did it get this far? Jesse was _stalking_ his sister and he didn't even know about it. He could've helped; he could've tried to put a stop to this whole thing. Had his father's contact all the lawyers that dealt with this a few years ago?

Finn walked down the side walk, bundled in his jacket, kicking a random stone in his way. He was so _angry _with himself. He had failed _again_. He looked out over the calm cinerary of the park, as he turned back to look at the side walk he thought he could see a mess of brown curly hair way off in the distant. _"Great, now I'm hallucinating." _Finn thought warily to himself. He turned back towards his apartment and did a quick double take as he caught that same brown curly hair off in the distant. All Finn wanted to do was go back and apologize to Rachel. For everything, not just for this morning.

But when Finn walked in a little later it was eerily quiet in the apartment. There was no movement in the spare room, they weren't on the couch and he couldn't hear them in the kitchen. Walking slowly towards the kitchen, he spotted a note under the plate of blueberry muffins. It simply read to give them a call when he had cooled off. Crumbling the note up and tossing it in the trash, he decided to leave it until later. Grabbing another muffin, Finn was ready to go back to bed.

…***...***...***

Rachel was still silently crying as her and Puck walked back into their apartment. "Baby? How about you go lie down and I'll bring you a cup of your favorite tea." Puck told Rachel as he ushered her into their bedroom.

"Lemon zinger? With a lemon wedge? Oh and maybe some of those tea biscuits your mom gave me?" Rachel gave him her best puppy dog expression.

Puck could only chuckle at his girlfriend as he tucked her into the bed, "Sure babe, anything else?" Rachel thought for a moment before shaking her head.

As Puck exited the room, Pixie followed closely behind stopping at the front door barking to get attention. Hearing the commotion, Puck turned to look in the direction of Pixie's bark, "What's the matter girl? Do you want to go outside?" With another bark and a scratch at the door, Puck took that as conformation and set about getting Rachel's tea first.

Entering the bedroom once more, this time tea and biscuits in hand, he set them both on the night stand. "Are you seriously watching this movie _again_?"

"Yes I am and you should know by now this is my favorite movie." Rachel scolded, turning her attention back to the TV, "Babs speaks to me and _The Way Were _is by far is one of her best."

"Whatever you say babe. Hey listen, I'm going to go check the mail and take Pixie with me. I have my cell and I promise I'm only going to be a few minutes, ten tops." Puck leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, okay, and then come snuggle?"

"Sure, only if I can pick the next movie." Puck smirked thinking of what he wanted to watch.

Rachel cringed, "Okay, but no _Sharknado_."

"Awe babe, mood kill." Puck laughed as he left the room, "C'mon Pixie, let's find your leash." Pixie yipped excitedly, following after Puck. Going to the small, square side table Rachel _insisted_ they put next to the door so they wouldn't lose their keys. Or Pixie's leash, which Puck had already done once. Hooking Pixie to the leash, the pair headed out.

…*****...***...*****

After taking Pixie on a quick jaunt to the park, which consisted of men laughing at Puck and the tiny dog and women fawning all over him and his tiny dog, he finally was able to get the small dog tired enough to go home. On the way up the stairs, he stopped and checked the mail. Staring at the envelope in his hands in shock for a moment, he opened it with slightly shaking hands; reading what the letter said.

_Mr. Noah Puckerman, _

_We are sending you this letter to invite you to the reading of the will belonging to _Miriam Barbara Puckerman. _The reading of the will is set to take place on _March 15, 2013 _at _The Law Offices of Capucio and Capucio…


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Broken**

**A/N: Thanks for all the follows, likes, and reviews! I especially want to give a shoutout to Lacey108! She's reviewed every chapter, and it makes me smile every time :D**

**Chapter ****19****\- Feeling Like A Fool For Trying**

Rachel tentatively knocked on Finn's apartment door, worrying her lip while she waited for him to answer. They hadn't left things on the best of terms two months ago and she was nervous to see her brother for the first time since the fight he had with Puck. Thankfully though, Puck hadn't kicked Finn out of the apartment, _yet_; but Rachel always felt that it was right around the corner.. She was constantly afraid that Finn would do something to piss Puck off enough that he decided that Finn needed to find his own place.

"I'll be with Evans for a few hours while you talk with Finn, but if you need me to come get you sooner, just let me know. I promise I'll be here as fast as I can, okay? We'll just be at the gym and then having a jam session." Puck looked at Rachel while they were waiting for Finn to answer the door.

"Yes Noah," Rachel sighed in exasperation, "You've only told me at least ten times during the ride over here."

"I just want to make sure you know that you don't have to stay here any longer than you want to," Puck reminded her gently.

"He's my brother Noah. I have to make up with him at some point. Jesse's been quiet lately. I get the feeling he's planning something and I would like to make up with Finn before it's too late.

…*****...***...*****

Finn and Rachel sat on the couch watching a random movie on TV, eating popcorn and drinking soda like they were kids again. "I've missed this," Rachel admitted quietly, trying to open the line of communication.

Finn nodded absentmindedly, paying more attention to _The Hangover_ than what his sister was saying. "Mhm Rach. Me too."

Rachel huffed in annoyance at her brother and turned the TV off before whacking him upside the head. "Finn Archibald Berry, I am trying to have a conversation with you, and you're more interested in some asinine movie about a bunch of Neanderthals in Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Why did I even come over today? I could have just stayed at home when Noah was at the gym, or hung out at Sam's until they got back, but _no_ I decided to come over here to spend time with you. You're my brother and it hurts that we haven't talked at _all _in the last few months. You haven't asked how I've been, how I've been coping, what's been going on with Jesse..." she trailed off and sighed, "You've just been sitting on this couch like nothing is wrong, watching barbaric things on TV that you know I don't like. Ugh, you frustrate me so much sometimes Finn. I can't take it. When will you just be my _brother _again?

"I want so badly for you to just be my brother again and not this stranger that you've somehow turned into over the past few _years_. Not weeks or months Finn, but _years_. Since everything happened, you haven't been the same. I get that you feel guilty because he was your best friend. But have you ever thought of how _sad _and _hurt _it makes me that you pulled away from me when I needed you most. I needed my brother, and you weren't there for me. No one was really ever there for me. Sure, Quinn was around, but she never really liked me, and Kurt was more concerned with his boyfriend, and that was perfectly fine. But the person who was supposed to protect me, comfort me, be there for me; he just up and left one day and never looked back. And not only did you _leave_, you never even came back to visit. You didn't call, or write, or email. You basically cut me out of your life completely. If it weren't for Dad and Daddy keeping me updated I would've thought you'd died or something."

Finn stared at Rachel for a few moments, dumbfounded before he responded, "It's not like you've tried any better Rachel. You never called me. You never wrote me. You stayed hidden in your room for _two _years not talking to anyone. Then, you moved here, still kept yourself secluded and then when you _finally _managed to open up it was to Puck. Not to Quinn, not to Kurt, not to me. You opened up to a complete stranger over your own family. He is the only one you've let in, and if you ask me, he's the reason that our relationship is so strained right now. Don't you see how he's controlling what you do? He decided that the two of you were going to get your own place. He decided that the two of you were going to Connecticut. He decided that you needed a cell phone so _he _could call _you _when he wanted to check up on you. He was the one who wanted you to go to Thanksgiving at his parents' house. He was the one to take you to that stupid party in Westerly. Do you remember _that _Rachel? Because I do, and I remember you saying that you _hated _him. He's the one that decided you two needed to get out of the house during Winter Break. _He _decided you should go to the movies. Do you remember any of this, or am I just making everything up?" He stood and paced in front of the TV, ignoring the tears in Rachel's eyes.

"None of us thought that you getting involved with him was a good idea. How does that make you feel? _No one _in your life supported the idea of your relationship before it started. Now, Dad and Daddy only like him because he has the means to make Jesse go away. You need your number changed; _Puck _can do that for you. You need someone to get Jesse put away again, _Puck _can pay for any lawyer that money could buy. God, you're being so stupid Rachel, and I don't get it. He's changing you so much. Sure, you might think you're making all the decisions, but are you really, or are you just going along with the ideas that he has planted in your head?"

Not saying a single word, Rachel stalked across the room bringing her hand up and swinging. A resounding smack was heard around the room. "_How dare you?!" _Rachel was still trying to process everything Finn had said, "I cannot believe those words came out of your mouth, if Noah is so _controlling _then what do you call what Jesse was, because last time I checked _Noah _never told me what I could and couldn't eat. _Noah _doesn't tell me I can't talk to my friends or my parents. _Noah _doesn't tell me when we're going out and what to wear. You know who _did _do those things, Finn? Jesse did all those things, and more. He told me when I could sleep, what classes I should take, what songs I should sing. He told me what shampoo to use. Jesse told me that it wasn't a good idea for me to get my license. He made me_ so_ dependent on him that I had no way out. He filled out my college applications, Finn without taking my dreams into consideration. He wanted me on the other side of the country at UCLA with him. There was so much that happened in our relationship. So many things that happened to me that I don't want you to know about because I know what would happen if you did know. I wouldn't be coming to visit you at your apartment; I'd be visiting you in _jail_. There is not one doubt in my mind that you would murder Jesse if you knew half of the things he said to me, not to mention all of the things he did to me over our relationship.

"Has it ever occurred to you _once_, that I haven't opened up to you, or talked to you about things because I am trying to protect you as much as you always tried to protect me? You're my brother Finn, and I love you. I don't want you to have to know about the hell that I lived, because you will blame yourself even though you did nothing wrong. Do you really think that I would let myself be put into that situation again? I'm not excusing all of the things that Noah has done in the past, and he knows that he's made mistakes, but those mistakes are nothing compared to everything that Jesse put me through." Rachel roughly wiped the tears that were falling down her face, before stalking over to the front door. "By the way, I just want you to know that I'm going to Westerly again, the reading of _Noah's _Nana's will is in a few days. And by the way, it was _my _choice." With that, Rachel wretched opened the door, and was startled at who was standing on the other side.

"Wanna tell me what's going on in there, Rach," Sam asked, looking down at the petite brunette who had tear stains on her face.

"Sam," Rachel said softly, shocked to see him and not Noah, even though she was secretly relieved, "What are you doing here?"

"Puck wanted to go let Pixie out, so he sent me to get you. Now, why don't you answer my question? What was going on with Finn?" Sam crossed his arms and glared over Rachel's head at his friend.

Before Rachel could open her mouth to reply, Finn spoke up, "Nothing, Evans. Rachel and I were just talking. Isn't that right, Rach?"

"Ye-yeah," Rachel stuttered out timidly, "We were just talking," she said quietly, hanging her head and refusing to make eye contact with Sam or Finn.

Sam sighed, knowing that wasn't the full story, but that he'd get the truth out of Rachel once they were out of Finn's presence. "Okay, well, we should probably get going, Rachel. I think Puck wanted to take you out tonight."

…*****...***...*****

**Jesse POV **

_Three months I've been out of jail. Three months of freedom after two years in jail thanks to that little bitch, _Jesse thought as he stood in a crowd across the street from where Finn lived, watching as Rachel left with some blond guy, Sam, he thought was the guys name. Lighting up another cigarette, he took a long drag before flicking the ashes on the ground, ignoring the ashtray that was on top of the garbage bin right next to him. He had been laying low for the past few weeks, letting Rachel get adjusted to her new life. He wanted her to be comfortable, and not be looking over her shoulder every five seconds before he decided to attack. _Don't worry _princess_, you won't even know what hit you until it's too late, _he laughed to himself before following Rachel and _Sam_ down the road towards her new apartment. It was a nice place, large, spacious, _and very _easy to get into with the fire escape and lack of security at the front door. As Jesse stealthily followed Rachel, he thought back to his time right out of jail, and how easy he found it to get a hold of Rachel's new phone number. _Jesse had knocked on a door that he never thought he would in his entire life. As he waited for the door to open, he plastered on his best smile, and smoothed out his shirt. If he wanted the information on Rachel he needed, he would have to make Quinn Fabray believe that he had changed his ways. Once Quinn opened the door and quickly masked her look of shock with a polite smile, he knew that it was go time. "Quinn Fabray, aren't you looking lovelier than ever. I know what I did to Rachel was horrible and wrong, and you have no reason to hear me out, but I would really like to apologize to her. __I had a lot of time to think about my actions, and I really need to make amends with her. __Would you be willing to give me her cell phone number? __How's Finn, by the way?"_It was that simple, a little bit of smiling and charming the captain of the Cheerio's, and he had everything he needed to know about Rachel. Jesse had her phone number, the name of her boyfriend, the knowledge that her and Finn were not on good terms right now, and he even knew what Rachel's plans were for the next few months…

…*****...***...*****

**Rachel POV**

"So, Rachel, do you want to tell me what _really _happened with Finn. I heard you yelling at him," Sam asked gently, looking down at the brunette next to him who had somehow become one of his best friends.

Rachel shook her head slightly, "Nothing happened Sam. Like Finn said, we were just talking. That's _all_. He actually brought up some pretty good points about Noah and my relationship with him. He does make _a lot _of suggestions as to when we should go visit his family, and it was _his _idea to get me a cell phone that way he can get in touch with me. I don't use the thing for much else besides talking to him. Really, since Noah and I started dating, things with Finn have been strained and I haven't talked to my father's since that awful couple of days in Lima. Maybe Finn's right. I'm letting myself get sucked back into the same things as before. This is how it started with Jesse. It seemed innocent enough at first, and then before I knew it, I was isolated from everything and everyone I loved. I mean, I've already moved in with Noah, and now I'm getting ready to go _back _to Westerly with him for the reading of a will belonging to someone I only met once? Is this all going too fast, am I crazy? Oh god, Finn was right. I'm being naive and silly. I let a few kind gestures totally blind me to what was right in front of me.

"He has broken his promise to me on _so many _occasions about not drinking anymore, and he took me to that god awful party even though he knew I didn't want to go," Rachel roughly wiped the tears off of her face and looked up at Sam, "Why did we stop?"

Sam frowned at Rachel and gently pulled her into his arms, "I am going to kill your brother," he growled, "For putting the idiotic thoughts in your head in the first place. Obviously Puck isn't perfect, but he's trying, Rach. You should have heard him today, he was feeling so guilty because he knows that since you two got together you and Finn haven't been that close, and he _hates _that you haven't talked to your parents. He even asked me if bringing you to Westerly was a good idea, he thought that you might want some more time with Finn to work things out. Puck _loves _you Rachel, and every time he does something that makes you upset he just about beats himself up over it. All he wants is for you to be happy."

Rachel sniffled a little bit and nodded her head against Sam's chest, "You're right. I know you're right. I just can't help but feel a little bit…" Rachel trailed off, trying to find the word she was looking for, "Overwhelmed. I'm feeling very overwhelmed. I went from having no contact with men besides my father's for two years, to moving in with my brother and dating his roommate in the matter of a few months. This is all just making my head spin, and I feel like I'm not in control of anything anymore."

"Then you need to tell Puck that."

"He'll be mad at me," Rachel mumbled, pushing away from Sam.

"Rachel Berry, he will _not _be mad at you. I promise." Sam gently grabbed her wrist and tugged her in the direction of her apartment. "And if he does get mad at you, just let me know, and I'll knock some sense into him for you."

…*****...***...*****

"Noah," Rachel called, walking into the apartment and tossing her keys on the side table, "I'm home. I need to talk to you about a few things before we head to dinner," Not hearing a response, she moved briskly to the bedroom, where Puck was packing, with headphones in his ears. "Noah," Rachel said a little louder, tapping on his shoulder when he didn't respond.

Puck jumped up in surprise and whirled around at someone touching him. "Oh, hey babe," he pulled the headphones out of his ears and smiled at Rachel, "What's up? Did you have a good time with Finn today?"

Rachel looked down at the floor and scuffed her shoe on the throw rug before shaking her head minutely, "No, not really," she said in a small, quiet voice, trying to hold back tears, "We got into a fight."

"About what," Puck asked gently, even though he already knew the answer.

"You." Rachel sat on the bed at stared at her hands. "He-he was try-trying to tell me all the reasons you weren't right for me. He pointed out similarities to Je-"

Puck shook his head and stared at Rachel, still standing, "If he compared me to that low-life _scumbag_," he ground out, cutting Rachel off.

Rachel nodded her head, refusing to meet Puck's eyes. "He did. I told him he was wrong, but I don't know Noah, he brought up some good points. There are a lot of things we need to talk about and honestly I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by everything right now."

"Babe," Puck said gently, kneeling in front of Rachel and taking her hands in his, "You and me, we're in this together. You can talk to me about anything, no matter what."

Rachel looked up tentatively meeting Puck's eyes. "Promise you won't get mad at me?"

Puck nodded, "Promise. Nothing you could ever say to me would make me mad at you."

Rachel took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about to say, "I'm really afraid that I'm not making enough of my own choices. I love you, and I love that we're living together, but I didn't really have a say in it, just like I didn't have a say in going to Connecticut, or getting a cell phone. I haven't ever been allowed to make decisions concerning my life, and I _know _you're not doing it on purpose, and part of it is probably my fault anyways for not telling you how I was feeling earlier, but I'm _scared, _Noah. I'm not scared of you, I don't think I ever really could be, but I think with your concern of trying to make me happy has others worried about me which is making me unhappy."

Puck stared at Rachel, taking in her words, "I never wanted that to happen. Ever. I'm so sorry, Rachel. If you don't want to come with me to Westerly, and stay here, that's fine. You can stay here, or with Finn. You can have Santana come over here if you don't want to be alone. I'm sure you could even stay with Evans. I never want you, or anyone else, to think I'm taking choices away from you. And if _you _think I ever do that, please tell me. I just want you to be safe, and happy. It's so hard for me to see you sad. I _hate _that you haven't talked to your dads. It _kills _me that your relationship with Finn is so strained. You should have seen how excited he was for you to move in. You're the most important person in my life. I know I don't say it as much as I should, but I love you, Rachel, and I always will." He crushed her to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, Noah. Thank you for always listening to me and actually hearing what I say. You're perfect."

**A/N: And…exhale. The title comes from "Wasting All These Tears" by Casadee Pope, and of course I had to listen to "Fix You" by Coldplay as well as "The Scientist" by Coldplay ****_and_**** "Mean To Me" by Brett Eldridge was the song I was listening to during Puck's little speech. If you haven't heard it, go listen. It's perfect. Please let me know what you think. **


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Broken**

**Chapter 2****0****\- Maybe I Fell in Love**

**A/N: After this chapter, let's just say "Shiteth Hath Hiteth The Fan...eth" and if you know what that quote is from, you're my hero! Please, let me know what you think. ****Also, I don't know if I've mentioned it ever, but the house the Puckerman's live in in Watch Hill is Taylor Swift's RI house. It is STUNNING inside. Truly stunning. **

"I really can't wait to see your mom again." Rachel sighed, looking out the window of the car. Traffic was crawling on I95; they had been in the same spot for almost an hour. "Where are we again?" Rachel still wasn't familiar with having to travel from New York City to Westerly.

"Babe. You sound like a five year old. Trust me when I say my mom is so excited that you're coming. We're in East Lyme; we're going to get off the next exit to eat. You'll love it, I promise." Puck promised. He wasn't enjoying the drive either. It had been stop and go traffic since New Haven, and it was getting a little overwhelming.

"Alright. It's nothing too fancy, right?" Rachel looked down at the sweats and t-shirt she was in. She never liked to wear jeans when traveling, they were just too constricting. Rachel looked into the back seat, and was only slightly jealous that Pixie was just sleeping through this whole thing.

"Not at all. Just a little diner I found on my home one time." Puck trailed off. His mind drifted back to the conversation he and Rachel had four nights ago. He was still a little ticked that Finn was putting all these doubts in Rachel's head. It almost seemed that there was something else that was said that Rachel wasn't telling him. He didn't dare put too much thought into it though, if Rachel wanted to tell him, she would. His priority right now was making sure Rachel was happy. And let her start making some decisions. "Where did you want to stay this time?" Puck questioned.

Rachel lifted her head from the window, looking a little startled. "What do you mean?"  
**  
**"Well, I'm trying to be a little more conscious on making decisions without your input. I don't you want to continue to feel that I'm taking those away from you. So, where do you want to stay?" Puck glanced at her, hoping he wasn't making a mistake.

"I... What are our options?" Rachel was startled. When she spilled some of what happened with Finn she wasn't expecting Noah to take such a proactive step in making her feel more like an equal in their relationship.

Puck let out a small chuckle, reaching for her hand. "Babe, not the point of these questions. Name where you want to stay, and that's where it'll be. Do you want to stay with my parents, the beach house, or a hotel?" He shook his head gently, squeezing her hand.

"I don't know Noah. I'm not too familiar with the area. A part of me would like to stay with your parents again. I don't think you realize how much I love them. But the other part wants to be alone with you." Rachel was unsure; she hadn't thought about it, she assumed he already knew where they'd be staying.

"Then let's compromise," his voice brought her back down to earth and out of the small panic attack that was coming on, "we stay with mom and dad and see how it goes, but we can always go spend a few nights at Nana's house too. Or I can always get us a room at a hotel in Newport if you want."

Rachel smiled at that, it sounded good to her and it felt amazing to be a part of deciding. "Staying with your parents and then at Nana's sounds perfect, Noah. Thank you." It was Rachel's turn to gently squeeze his hand.

"For?" Puck was confused as to what she could be thanking him for.

"Letting me help decide. It means a lot that you took our conversation seriously." Rachel said quietly. A small smile playing on her lips.

Puck just shook his head, smiling down at Rachel, "of course babe. I love you."

"Love you too Noah. Though when will be at this diner because my stomach is not too fond of you at the moment."

Puck could only laugh at her statement, going from a serious conversation to joking. He loved it, "Soon, only two more exits. But at this pace it might be another half hour. Take a nap; I'll wake you when we get there."

"You have to take me back here Noah! Promise me we'll stop on our way back to New York City? Please?" Rachel pleaded as they walked out of the small diner in East Lyme. She loved the feel of such a small, family owned diner with home cooked food, and a laid back decor.

Puck opened the door to help her in, laughing as she rambled about how much she loved the little diner. "Yes, we'll come back. Now get that cute butt in the car. We still have 45 minutes to Westerly."

"Yes sir," Rachel laughed right along with him, not being able to contain the happiness with the thought of seeing Hanna again. She touched the necklace that was given to her and smiled. It was really _nice _to have an actual mother-figure in her life.

The rest of the drive to Puck's childhood home was in a comfortable silence. Rachel dozed off here and there, but Pixie was getting anxious from being in the car for so long.

Thankfully traffic had broken up around New London, so travel was smooth from then on. It left Puck in his own mind though. He hadn't told Rachel, but he was worried about the reading. Nana had already told him some of the things he was getting, and while he knew he was left most of his Nana's belongings, he could only pray it wouldn't start some sort of family feud.

He sighed softly as he turned onto the familiar road that led to his childhood home. Glancing down at the sleeping form that was his girlfriend, he smiled. He debated waking her up or just carrying her into the house. He decided if she woke up then that was that, but if not he'd carry her up stairs.

As Puck parked the car, he saw his little sister Bridget running out the front door. "Noah!" She looked so excited to see him. She ran to the driver side pulling the door open as soon as the car stopped moving, "Pixie!" Bridget exclaimed again, watching the little dog excitedly jumping over Puck to get to her making Bridget giggle as Pixie finally got to lick her hand.

Puck smiled, seeing his parents standing by the door. "Bridge, shh, Rachel's sleeping. Why don't you take Pix here for a walk around the yard while I carry Rachel upstairs?"

Bridget jumped excitedly, quietly clapping her hands. "Yay! Come on Pixie!" Bridget gently took Pixie's leash, helping the small dog down on the ground before slipping away towards the back yard.

Aaron was the first to approach, taking in the sight of a peaceful looking Rachel. "Hey son, we were just wondering when you'd grace us with your presence. Are you going to carry her up?" Looking up at Puck.

"Yeah, planned on it at least. Help me with some bags?" Puck ran a hand over his face, tired from the long drive. "Kinda just want to go lay down with her and take a nap myself."

"Well I'm certainly not stopping you. I'm sure your mother won't either. She's just so excited you've come home again." Aaron chuckled.

Puck lifted himself out of the SUV, heading around the car to get Rachel. "You'll wake us for dinner?"

Aaron shook his head, "Do you only ever think about food? Of course we will. You know your mother would die if you didn't eat." Aaron already had the bags on his shoulders, ready to follow his son into the house.

Hanna was waiting in her son's room; she had put fresh sheets on the bed in anticipation of his and Rachel's arrival. When she went out to greet them, she saw Rachel had already fallen asleep. She went upstairs to turn down the sheets, so Noah could place Rachel down. She watched with a smile on her face as her son carried Rachel into the room. "Hey sweetie! There are fresh sheets and I turned them down for you. Dinner will be done around 7:30, should I wake you then?" She finished by placing a soft kiss on his cheek and one to Rachel's forehead.

"Perfect Ma," Puck sighed as he straightened up, watching Rachel snuggle deeper into his sheets.

"I'll leave you then. See you in a little while." Hanna saw herself out, meeting her husband in the hallway.

Puck stripped out of his jeans, and button down shirt, leaving him in his boxers and a t-shirt. He gently climbed into bed with Rachel, scooting close so he could hold her in his arms. Laying a gentle kiss to her temple, he soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

Puck woke up to Rachel thrashing in her sleep at about 7:00pm. He felt guilty that she was still sleeping so poorly since her big fight with Finn. "Rach, hey, it's okay. Wake up, you're safe." Puck rubbed Rachel's shoulder gently, trying to coax her out of her nightmare. "Babe, you're okay. Nothing you're seeing is real. None of it is real. Just wake up for me, please?" Puck kissed the top of Rachel's head, and pulled her closer to him, "Come on baby, don't do this. Open your pretty brown eyes for me," Puck whispered as he rocked Rachel back and forth.

Just as Rachel was starting to calm down, he heard a soft knock on his door, "Noah," Hanna said quietly as she opened the door, "Is everything okay?"

Puck nodded at his mother, "Yeah mom. Everything's fine. Just trying to wake Rachel up. Hey, if we aren't down for dinner, don't think anything of it, okay?"

Hanna looked at her son questioningly as he continued to run his fingers through Rachel's hair, "Why wouldn't you two come down for dinner?"

"Mom, here's the thing," he sighed, holding Rachel closer to him, "These _nightmares_ take a lot out of Rachel. She usually can't be around too many people for a few hours. I promise we'll eat though, even if I have to bring the food up here."

Hanna nodded and smiled at her son, "Of course, Noah. You do whatever you need to do to help Rachel. You're father and I love you both," she smiled softly at her son and walked out of the room, closing the door.

After Puck was sure Hanna had left the room, he focused his attention back on Rachel, noticing her face was still pinched up in stress. He kissed the top of her head once more and thought of something he could sing to snap her out of this nightmare.

_I should ink my skin, with your name._

_Take my passport out again,_

_and just replace it._

_See I could do without a tan on my left hand,_

_where my fourth finger meets my knuckle._

_And I should run you a hot bath and fill it up with bubbles._

_'Cause maybe you're loveable,_

_and maybe you're my snowflake,_

_and your eyes turn from green to grey,_

_in the winter I'll hold you in a cold place._

_And you should never cut your hair,_

_'cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder, (mm)_

_And you will never know, just how beautiful you are to me,_

_but maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up._

_And would you ever feel guilty? If you did the same to me._

_Would you make me a cup of tea, to open my eyes in the right way?_

_And I know you love Shrek, 'cause we've watched it twelve times._

_But, maybe you're hoping for a fairy-tale too, and if your DVD breaks today,_

_You should've got a VCR, 'cause I never owned a blu-ray, true say._

_And I've always been shit at computer games, and your brother always beats me,_

_And if I lost, I'd go across and chuck all the controllers at the TV, and then you'd laugh at me,_

_and be asking me, if I'm going to be home next week,_

_and then you'd lie with me, 'till I fall asleep,_

_and flutter an eyelash on my cheek, between the sheets._

_And you will never know, just how beautiful you are to me,_

_but maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up._

_And I think you hate the smell of smoke,_

_you always try get me to stop,_

_You drink as much as me, and I get drunk a lot,_

_So I take you to the beach, and walk along the sand,_

_And I'll make you a heart pendant, with a pebble held in my hand._

_And I'll carve it like a necklace, so the heart falls where your chest is,_

_And now a piece of me, is a piece of the beach, and it falls just where it needs to be, and rests peacefully._

_So you just need to breathe, to feel my heart against yours now, against yours now._

_'Cause maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up._

_Well maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up,_

_Maybe I fell in love, when you woke me up._

As Puck finished singing, he felt Rachel fully relax and he let himself breathe a sigh of relief.

"Noah," Rachel whispered, "Thank you. I love you." She kissed him gently. "How did I end up so lucky getting to have you in my life?"

"Well babe, it's because you deserve it." He kissed Rachel's shoulder, and rubbed her back in soft circles. "Do you want to go downstairs and eat, or do you want to bring the food up here?"

"We can go down and eat its fine." Rachel smiled at Puck and stood up, stretching slightly before grabbing his hand and hauling him up with her. She pulled him up with more force than necessary, and fell to the floor with a resounding _thud_ when Puck couldn't stop the momentum and landed on top of her.

"I'm sorry baby," Puck said, laughing a little bit, "I didn't realize you've gotten so strong. Have you been working out with Evans behind my back?"

Rachel giggled and pulled Puck down to kiss him, "Maybe I have, so you better watch it Puckerman. My guns might catch up to yours."

"I knew it! I knew you loved my guns," Puck said to Rachel, "Ready to get off the floor now, babe, or do you want to lay here all night?"

"I'm actually pretty comfy. Let's just lay here," Rachel mumbled, already falling back asleep.

****A/N: There are only THREE pre-written chapters left! Eek!****


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Broken**

**A/N: Sorry I haven't uploaded this in a couple days...BUT...drumroll please...You will get this chapter PLU 22 and 23 today! And I'm hoping to have chapter 24 up tomorrow if all goes well :) **

**Chapter 2****1****\- Maybe it's True I Can't Live Without You**

**New York City**

Finn sat in his apartment staring at the black TV screen, wondering when things in his life started to go so wrong. _Was it when Rachel moved in? Was it when she started dating Jesse? Was it when she was attacked? Was it when she started dating Puck? Was it when she moved in with Puck,_ Finn had what seemed like a thousand questions running through his head, even though he knew the truth about the real moment his relationship with Rachel became strained, _the moment I decided that seeing my sister in pain was too much and just walked away from her without so much as telling her that I would miss her, _he thought to himself as he scrubbed his hands over his face. As he was getting up and walking into the kitchen to make himself something to eat, his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and seeing _Quinn_ flash across the screen, answered the call. "Hello," Finn said slowly.

"Hi Finn, how've you been? I haven't talked to you in a couple of days," Quinn began nervousness clear in her voice.

"I've been good. I got into a little fight with Rachel, and I've been trying to deal with that. What's up?" He didn't mean to sound as cold and detattched as he did, but since their fight in Ohio, things between Quinn and himself hadn't been that great.

"Not much. Just wanted to check in. You haven't told me if anything else has happened with Jesse, and I was getting a little worried."

"No, nothing is going on with him. Why," Finn asked hesitantly.

"Oh, no reason. Just wanted to make sure he hadn't gotten Rachel's new number."

Finn shook his head, and sighed into the phone, "_No, _Quinn, he hasn't. Look, I'm kind of busy right now; I'll talk to you later. Bye." He hung up the phone, not hearing Quinn's response.

…*****...***...*****

"Did you tell him," Santana asked, glaring at her roommate with her arms crossed.

"No, I didn't get a chance too. He said he was busy and hung up," Quinn replied quietly, looking down at the floor. "You're not going to tell him, are you? I know it was wrong, but if you do, it'll ruin everything."

Santana scoffed and rolled her eyes, "You have until Puck and Rachel get back at the end of the week and if you haven't told him by then, _I will._"

…*****...***...*****

**Westerly, RI**

Puck pulled into the narrow driveway leading to the law office. Rachel looked around a little wide-eyed. She hadn't seen this part of Westerly the last time they were here. Off in the distant was a large yellow building, with what looked like a park next to it.

"Noah, what's that building and that over there?" Rachel pointed over her shoulder to her right.

Puck glanced over that way seeing Wilcox Park and the library. "Well babe that would be the public library and the park. It's really nice in the spring; there are cherry blossom trees, and a really nice cobblestone bridge. I promise that we'll visit the library before we leave and we'll come back to see the park." Puck smiled looking at the excitement on Rachel's face.

Climbing out of the SUV, they walked hand and hand into the law office. "Good morning, how can I help you today?" The secretary asked with a kind smile.

"We are here for the reading of the Puckerman will." Puck squeezed Rachel's hand. The subject was still a hard one for Puck to swallow.

"I'll have you wait over there," the secretary pointed to a couple of chairs over their shoulder, "and only people in the Will can be allowed into the office."

Puck nodded, glancing at Rachel, leading her over to the chairs, sitting down in the only two seats available. "I'm sorry babe; you'll have to wait out here." He said apologetically.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay. I'll still be here for you when it's all over. Then you can take me to the library." She glanced over at him, a smirk playing on her lips.

Puck laughed out loud, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "You wanna stay at Nana's house tonight? I'll take you out to dinner and then we can head back there and watch a movie or two." He felt Rachel nod against his shoulder.

"Is it just you, your parents and your sister, Noah," Rachel asked quietly, curious as to who was going to be there for the Will reading.

Puck thought about Rachel's question, as far as he knew, it was just the four of them. "I think it's just us babe. Nana has a brother, but they had a big falling out about twenty years ago. No one has really heard from him in awhile. I don't even think he knows she died." Puck shrugged and glanced at his watch, wondering where his parents and Bridget were.

Just as he was getting ready to call Bridget to find out where they were, he heard the front door open and looked over to see his mom, dad and a very pissed off looking Bridget.

"I don't even know why I have to be here, mom. It's not like I'm getting anything. We all know that Nana liked Noah best," Bridget snapped at her mother.

"Now Bridget," Hanna began placating her daughter, "You know that's not true. She loved the both of you the same." She ushered her daughter over to where Puck and Rachel were sitting and smiled at them, "Are you ready, Noah?"

Puck just nodded, "Yeah. Let's get this over with."

…*****...***...*****

"Of _course_ you got everything in her Will, Noah. She liked you more than me. Ugh, _seriously, _I get her _China Set?_ You get the house in Texas, the money for the Beach House, _two_ cars, all of her CDs and her bank accounts and what do _I get?_ I get a lousy China Set, a BMW and a Trust Fund I can't touch until I'm 21. How is that fair?" Bridget stormed out of the lawyer's office, ranting at the way Nana Puckerman distributed her estate.

"Bridget," Puck sighed, annoyed with his sister, "_First_ of all, lose the attitude young lady. Second of all, she loved you just as much as me. I'm sorry that you feel like you were shortchanged, but getting a $90,000 car is more than most people get from their grandparents when they pass away. Third, she gave _me _the money to pay the taxes on the Beach House because that's not a responsibility that a fourteen year old needs to have. I plan on staying in New York, even after I graduate, so the house is _yours_ if it really means that much to you." Puck stalked over to Rachel, and grabbed her hand, gently pulling her up.

"Did things not go well," Rachel asked timidly, looking from Puck to Bridget.

Bridget scoffed and glared at Rachel, "Obviously _not_, Rachel," she raised her voice and continued glaring, taking her anger out on Rachel.

"Bridget Anne Puckerman," Aaron scolded his daughter, "Go wait in the car young lady, _and _apologize to your brother and Rachel."

Bridget rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Sorry Rachel, _sorry_ Puck," she told them in a snotty tone before storming outside.

Aaron rubbed his forehead, a headache forming with all the drama. "Well," he cleared his throat, "Noah, I really hope you don't allow what happened to your Nana all those years ago happen to you and your sister."

Puck shook his head, "If I can prevent it, I will. But she has to understand, I didn't force Nana to write what she wrote." Puck pulled Rachel into his side, placing a kiss on her head. "God, I can't believe Nana really left me all that, I feel like, I don't know, bad?"

Hanna placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel bad, Nana loved you, and really wanted you to marry apparently." Chuckling to herself. Aaron just laughed and shook his head.

"Wait, I don't get it." Rachel looked up at Puck, waiting for him to answer.

Puck exhaled loudly, rubbing a hand down his hair. "Well Nana made it a stipulation that I could only get the second half of my inheritance when I get engaged and then when I marry."

Aaron laughed out loud, "So, Rachel, do you like spring or fall weddings?"

Rachel felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "Um, what?"

"He's kidding babe, it's not the right time for us yet." Puck assured her.

_Yet. _Rachel heard that word loud and clear. Was he really thinking about that with her? Laughing nervously, Rachel nodded, "Right, I knew that. But kind of awful she's holding that over your head. What if you never met the right person?"

Puck just shrugged, "I'm not going to really think about that. But there's a lot we need to talk about."

"Like do you want the Audi or would you prefer the Bentley?" Aaron said with a huge smile on his face.

"Excuse me?" Rachel squeaked out.

"God dad! Can't you leave one thing for me to break to her?" Puck shook his head, leading his girlfriend to the door. "We're leaving now; I'm taking Rachel to dinner."

"Somewhere nice young man! You can more than afford it now!" Hanna called after her son as he walked away as fast as he could. "Love you both!"

"Love you too ma!"

...***...***...

"What was your father talking about Noah? Why would I have to decide if I want an Audi or a Bentley," Rachel asked once she and Noah had arrived at dinner and sat down with their menus in front of them. She had spent the entire car ride to the restaurant in North Providence worrying about making such decision. "I can't afford either one of those cars. I don't need a car. Actually, I don't even have my driver's license."

"First of all, we'll work on getting you your license if you want it. Second of all, I _really _don't need three cars. I have my Escalade and that's more than enough. Now, which car do you want?"

"Well," Rachel began, biting her lip and looking up at Puck nervously, "I kind of like the Escalade."

Puck threw his head back and laughed, "Perfect! We'll trade in the Bentley. I fucking _hate _that thing babe. Makes me feel like an old man driving it."

Rachel smiled brightly, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would, babe. Now, we need to discuss a few things about the Will," Puck told Rachel, "Pretty soon, we're going to need to go to Austin so the ranch hands…"

"Wait? Austin? Ranch hands? What do you mean?" Rachel cut Puck off, confused at what he was saying.

"Oh, yeah. About that…" Puck trailed off; looking at Rachel nervously, "Remember how I said my family came from _old_ money?" He waited for Rachel's nod, and when he saw it, he continued. "Well, my Nana's family came into their money because of the Oil Rigs in Texas. There's still a ranch there and it was left to me." Puck sighed, casting his eyes downwards. "That's how Nana lost contact with her brother. There was a huge argument over the house years ago with her brother. Their parents didn't leave the house to either one of them, but Nana invested her money better and of course her husband, my Papa, had a lot of money from the stocks. So they could afford the taxes and what not on it.

"Papa and Nana would go down there for vacations. It has horses, and it's own lake, with a boat house. It's wonderful and I love it down there. But when Papa passed, Nana didn't want to travel down there anymore. She hired two ranch hands, built them their own house, and paid them to be there 24/7 to keep up her home and all the land that came with it. Now that she left the house in my name, we have to break the news to them that Nana has passed but they won't lose their jobs. I need to finish school first, and I want you to decide if we stay in New York after or live in Texas." Puck drifted off, hoping she understood the seriousness of this conversation.

Rachel stayed silent. Her head reeled at the thought of making such a huge decision. It would take her away from New York and where her brother lived, and further away from her fathers. But at the same time it would give her an even fresher start that she desperately longed for. "Can I think about it for a few days? Is that okay?" Rachel looked at Puck, searching his face for any sign of disapproval.

"Of course babe, take your time. Talk it over with Finn and yours fathers if need be. But remember that we have private jets at our disposal so if visiting is an issue, don't let it be. The second you want to visit them, I'd have one fueled within an hour for you. Can I ask how you feel about going to visit? It'd be just for a weekend." Puck asked gently.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak when the waiter stopped at the table, getting their order before scurrying back towards to kitchen area. It gave Rachel a few moments to think about his last statement. While he said the decision was hers, he just made it sound that the decision was already made. "I need to think about it. Just...just let me think please. As far as visiting... I think I'd love to. You know, before I met you, I'd never been outside of Ohio? Now I'm talking about going to Austin, Texas..." Rachel said with amazement in her voice.

Puck laughed, shaking his head gently. "I know, I know."

…*****...***...*****

Back at the Beach House, Puck had just finished giving Rachel the "official" grand tour. Sure, she had been there in December, but then Puck was more nervous about her meeting Nana Puckerman, and then well, he was more focused on the fact that his Nana had passed away. "So, what do you think of the place, Rach," Puck asked nervously.

"I like it. It's very _large." _She took in her surroundings, and it finally registered to her _just how much_ money her boyfriend and his family had.

"I know, but Nana's philosophy was that if you work hard in life, you should be able to buy yourself nice things. So, that's what she did. She worked and saved her money so she could have everything she wanted, with _or _without her parents' money," Puck pulled Rachel closer to him and kissed the top of her head, "I like to think she was a smart lady."

"She was a smart lady, and she helped to raise a very smart grandson." Rachel leaned back into Pucks chest, looking out the huge picture window; seeing the moon reflecting off the top of the water. "Did you ever dream of just sitting here and taking in this view? How did you ever leave?" Rachel sighed, not pulling her eyes off the view.

Puck nuzzled his face into the crook of Rachel's neck. "I do love it here. This is where I have some of the best memories with my Nana. I can leave because I know I'll always come back." Puck placed a gentle kiss to her neck making Rachel quietly moan.

"Noah," she sighed. "Hey. You never took me to the library."

Puck laughed out loud, thinking after he paid attention to her neck, the one thing she could point out was the library. "Babe we have time, we'll go tomorrow." Puck leaned back in, placing open mouthed kisses along her jaw. Rachel squirmed in his arms, trying to get him to let her turn around. Puck held her a little tighter, giving her neck a little more attention.

Rachel allowed Puck to continue his ministrations thinking back on how it had already been five months since they started dating. And while they shared a bed, Puck never let it go past heated make out sessions. And even then he felt he went too far. But she loved him, and something about being in this home, with only their future ahead of them made her want to take charge and bring this into the bedroom. "Noah..." Rachel moaned again, feeling him gently nip at her neck. She moved her head to the side, giving him more room. Feeling bold, Rachel rolled her hips against Puck's, feeling his arousal immediately. She took a shuddering breath before pushing back, making him moan loudly.

"God Rach..." Puck rested his head on her shoulder trying to breathe deeply as his girlfriend continued to roll her hips against him. She has never been bold enough to do this. Sure, she started some of their make outs, but he's never seen her like this. "Baby, we need to cool it down a bit."

"Why?" Rachel turned in his arms, finally being able to press her lips against his. "We've been dating for five months Noah. I trust you with me life, I _love _you. I'm ready for this. I'm ready for you."

**A/N: ...what will he say? What will happen? Leave me some love with what you think. Title of the chapter comes from ****_Two Is Better than One by Boys like_**** Girls**


	23. Chapter Twenty-two

**Broken**

**A/N: So this is the LAST pre-written chapter. I combined Chapters 22 and 23 together. Again, I want to remind everyone to not be _too _mad at Puck, or Rachel...they're both figuring out this relationship thing together. From here, I will be doing bi-weekly (hopefully) updates to this story. I've had it mapped out in my head since I started this story in 2010, so I know where it's going; I just have to get there. I DO know that I will (probably) get more threats of flaming poo thrown at me as this story continues. **

**Chapter 2****2****\- Getting on with my Life**

The sun beat down on the two sleeping figures sprawled out onto the large bed. Rachel woke with a start, not remembering where she was. She closed her eyes immediately, the sun was just a tad too bright for her taste. As she slowly opened her eyes this time to adjust to all the light, and took a quick assessment of her body. She was sore in places she never knew could be sore, she was naked with only a sheet wrapped around her body and as she glanced down at Puck she realized he too was without clothes. Then the memories slowly came back to her.

_"God Rach..." Puck rested his head on her shoulder trying to breathe deeply as his girlfriend continued to roll her hips against him. She has never been bold enough to do this. Sure, she started some of their make outs, but he's never seen her like this. "Baby, we need to cool it down a bit."_

_"Why?" Rachel turned in his arms, finally being able to press her lips against his. "We've been dating for five months Noah. I trust you with my life, I love you. I'm ready for this. I'm ready for you."_

She smiled at the memory, smiled remembering how Puck scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She loved how he took his time. How he showered her with kisses and made her feel loved. He took his time with her and never once pressured her to do something she didn't want to do. Rachel lay back down, snuggling into a still sleeping Puck, and let exhaustion take her again.

...***...***...***

Puck pulled the warm body closer to him, burying his head into the soft head of hair. He moved his head to gently kiss Rachel's neck.

_"God Rach, I love you baby." Puck moaned as he dipped his head to kiss her throat. _

_"Noah..." Rachel moaned leaving Puck to groan. He wasn't used to hearing his given name like that. And he certainly wasn't complaining. _

_"Rach, are you 100 percent positive?" Puck looked into her large brown eyes, looking for any doubt or hesitation. _

_"Yes, please Noah." With that Puck kissed her lips hard. _

Puck shook the thoughts from his head, willing his erection to go down. He knew Rachel would be in no shape for round two this morning. He closed his eyes, just enjoying these few moments with Rachel in his arms. All too soon she began to stir in his arms, he leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Morning love," Puck rasped out.

"Good morning Noah," Rachel carefully rolled over to face him.

"How do you feel?" Puck rubbed her bare side.

Rachel sighed leaning into Puck. "Sore. Very sore, but it's a good sore. Stop over thinking, I don't regret a single thing we did last night. If anything, I want to do it again, make love to you. Because that's what we did. I love you Noah." Rachel sealed it with a kiss to his lips.

"Love you too babe." Puck nuzzled her cheek. "I don't want to move." He groaned after a moment though, thinking about how hungry he was getting, and the fact that getting food would mean getting dressed and going out. "C'mon babe, time to get up and go find food." Puck kissed her cheek once again before leaping out of bed to get a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

Rachel sighed in contentment and snuggled deeper into the bed, "Can't you go get food and bring it here? I'm too comfy to move," she mumbled into her pillow.

Puck laughed and kissed Rachel on the forehead, "Come on, let's go," he watched as Rachel sat up, scratching her head.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up." She searched the room for her yoga pants and flannel shirt, quickly getting dressed and meeting Puck in the living room. "Where are we going to eat?"

Rachel's voice broke Puck from his train of thought. "Um, before we leave we need to talk." Puck was concentrating on the windows, looking out at the snow covered roofs and the sandy beach not too far away.

Rachel walked wearily over to him, putting her hand on his arm. "About...?" Her logical side was telling her that it had nothing to do with a breakup and more with a concern he must have. But her head? It was telling her to run; she didn't want to have her heart broken, especially after last night. She shook her head when she heard Puck mumble something. "What?" Was her logical response.

"Fuck Rachel. I've never forgotten before. I'm so sorry Rach, I really am, I was just so lost in the moment. I wasn't planning for this to happen, and I love that it did. I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Puck rushed out all in one breath.

Rachel was still unsure of what he was apologizing for, she had missed the first part of it. "Noah, I have no idea what you're talking about. Please explain it to me," Rachel squeezed his arm, coming around to his front to look him in the eyes. "Look at me, tell me what's wrong?" Rachel was still panicking that something serious had happened.

Puck glanced down at her, seeing her eyes wild with concern. "We...um, we didn't use any..." Puck heaved a sigh, he wasn't used to having to confront these issues like this. "We didn't use protection." He mumbled, scared shitless of the consequences that could follow.

"Oh...well then, um." Rachel was trying to wrap her head around what he was saying. "It's not all your fault, I should've said something or taken the precaution myself." Rachel sighed, she hated to think of what he would do if he found out she wasn't all too concerned. She wasn't ready to tell him yet, someday but not now.

"But...what if you become pregnant? What would we do? I haven't graduated from college and I wanted you to experience the city and college... The morning after pill, we could go get one...if you want..." Puck trailed off, waiting for her reaction.

Rachel heaved another sigh, trying to keep the tears at bay. If by some miracle she was pregnant, she could never get rid of it. "Would it be that horrible if I was? I know we've never talked about it, but I want a large family some day. And if that someday is today, I wouldn't be upset." Rachel gently nudged her head into his chest. She felt Puck wrap his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly. "I don't want that pill Noah. Yes, I'd love to go to college. But that's what daycares are for... If, and that's a huge if, this happens and you don't want to do it. Its fine, I could do it by myself, and I wouldn't hold it against you." She felt Puck stiffen, his hand stopping his ministrations.

"Rach... No. I wouldn't leave you because you're pregnant. God... My mother would kill me if I left you alone. Then she'd claim you as her child and take you in." Puck quietly laughed to himself thinking about how her inner mother bear would come out. "If this is something you want to take a chance on, then we'll do this together. And if you don't want to go to college you don't have to. I would never force you. You want to be a stay at home mom, then you can be." Just hearing the word 'mom' come from his mouth in reference to Rachel made something in him click. He liked thinking of Rachel being the mother to his future children. He thought they were still a tad young but he'd go with the flow and see where this took him.

...***...***...***

"Noah, before we go back home you need to go see Bridget and make this right with her," Rachel told Puck quietly on their way back from breakfast. "Take it from me, fighting with your sibling over trivial things is awful, and before you know it those trivial things are becoming bigger, more important things; and then you blink and you've lost four months of a relationship with your best friend." Rachel looked out the window, thinking about her strained relationship with Finn.

Puck sighed and grabbed Rachel's hand, "You're right babe. I don't want to let a few stupid items come between my sister and me."

"You can drop me off back at the house first if you want to talk to her alone," Rachel offered quietly.

Puck glanced at her quickly and shook his head, "No babe, its fine. I want you to be there with me. I think maybe you can give her an additional perspective on the situation."

Rachel smiled at Puck and nodded, "Okay. If that's what you want, I'd be glad to go with you."

The pair continued the car ride to the Puckerman household in silence, both thinking about everything that had occurred yesterday.

Rachel was so quiet on the ride that Puck was sure she had fallen asleep. He gently put his hand on her arm to get her attention, "Babe," he said breaking the peaceful silence in the car, "We're here."

Rachel broke out of the trance-like state she had been in for the entire car ride, "Hmmm," she hummed in question, before realizing where they were, "Oh. Sorry. I was thinking about Finn. I really need to make a better effort to reconnect with him. I can't exactly be telling your sister that she needs to make nice with you when I can't make nice with my own brother." She rolled her eyes and got out of the car, slamming the door.

Puck sighed, trying to conceal his annoyance with Rachel's sudden mood swing. He knew that the move, the fight with Finn, and everything with Jesse had been stressful for her, but it seemed like her highs and lows were becoming more severe and more frequent. He scrubbed his hand over his face roughly before getting out of the car and locking it. "Come on, let's get this over with," he snipped out as he walked over to Rachel and grabbed her hand.

"Noah," Rachel said questioningly at his sharp tone, "Is everything okay?" She looked up at him with worry in her eyes.

"Yeah, babe. Everything is fine. Just stressed," he responded, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

Rachel nodded, uncertainly. "If you're sure. You seem upset," she told him with trepidation in her voice.

"I'm _not_ upset, Rachel. Just leave it alone," he snapped at her, not thinking before he spoke.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry," Rachel meekly told him, keeping her eyes on the ground. As Puck led her up to the front door Rachel replayed the last few minutes in her head to figure out where the conversation went wrong.

Puck looked at his girlfriend and instantly felt guilty when he saw how she looked right now. She had her head down as they walked, her shoulders were hunched over and the arm of the hand he wasn't holding was wrapped around her waist. "Rach," Puck whispered, guilt seeping into his words, "I'm sorry baby. I'm not mad at you , I promise."

Rachel minutely nodded her head, "its okay. I pushed you. I shouldn't have done that. It was my fault." She chanced a glance at his face, not wanting to see the anger that she was sure was there, and was confused when she saw what she could only describe as concern and pain. Realizing they had been standing on the stoop for probably two minutes just staring at each other, she hesitantly opened her mouth again, "Are we going to go inside, or are we going to stand out here all day?"

Puck let out a relieved sigh that Rachel seemed to have forgiven him, for the moment. "Yeah, we're going in," he replied to her.

…*****...***...*****

Inside the Puckerman household, things were tense. Puck and Bridget were having a stand-off in the middle of the kitchen and Rachel was standing in the corner of the room, looking at the scene play out in front of her. "Will _one _of you please say something? You won't resolve anything by glaring at each other."

Bridget gave Rachel a withering look and sighed, "Fine. I'll start," she snipped. "I think its bullshit that Puck is getting everything. Just because Nana liked him more doesn't mean that I should just get a lousy trust fund, a stupid BMW and china set that I'll probably never even use. What does Puck need all that money for? What use will he get out of having all that jewelry? " She crossed her arms and started to storm out of the room, before her arm was grabbed. Looking up, Bridget assumed it was her brother, but when she saw Rachel's tiny frame in front of her, she was shocked at the anger she saw in the petite brunette's eyes.

"You listen to me young lady," Rachel growled at Bridget, glaring at her, "How _dare_ you? How _dare_ you act like you are getting nothing? That _stupid_BMW you were talking about is worth upwards of $85,000 dollars. That _lousy_ trust fund can pay for college, or help you get settled into your own home. That _china set_ probably has more value than anything Puck is getting, and you should feel honored to be getting it. Your Nana loved both you and Noah the same, she just had a different relationship with him than she has with you. For someone who has had the entire world handed to her, you're acting as if you know what it's like to struggle. You're acting like you were cut out _entirely_. You are _fourteen_ years old, so start acting like it and stop acting like an ungrateful two year old," Rachel scoffed before letting go of Bridget's arm and turning to walk out of the room, "Oh, and one last thing," Rachel paused in the doorway, "Remember that your _brother_ loves you, and if there was some materialistic piece of crap that got willed to him that you wanted, he would probably give it to you if you actually fucking asked." She stormed out of the room and left the house, slamming the front door behind her. As she walked to her car, she sighed. It was harder than she thought trying to talk to Bridget when her relationship with Finn was so strained. Trying the car door only to find it locked, she sank onto the cold ground and pulled out her phone to make a long overdue call. "Hi Finn, can we talk?"

**New York City**

Finn was just walking into his lonely apartment when his cell phone rang. Without looking at the name on the screen, he hit the answer button and gave a surely, "Hello?" The voice on the other end wasn't one he thought he would ever hear again.

"_Hi Finn, can we talk?"_

Hearing his sister crying into her phone sent him into overdrive, ready to head out the door again to go get her, wherever she was. "Yeah Rachel. Is everything okay," he prodded gently.

"_Everything is fine. Noah had a fight with his sister and he wanted me to try and help talk some sense into her. I just realized," _Rachel paused to sniffle, and it broke Finn's heart, _"How can I tell Bridget that she shouldn't be fighting with her brother, because he's the only brother she'll ever have, when you and I have barely had a conversation that doesn't turn into a fight in months? I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you, Finny."_

Listening to Rachel's heart-felt plea had Finn holding back tears of his own, "Rachel," he began gently, "You have nothing to be sorry for. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I'm the one that started all of this by not accepting you and Puck as a couple," he paused and looked up at the ceiling, "And I guess _neglecting_ to tell you about Jesse didn't help either. I was just always so worried about you, and how you would react to things. I didn't want you to lose all of your progress, ya know?"

"_Yeah, I know. Thank you though, Finn."_

"For what," Finn questioned with confusion in his voice.

"_For still caring about me. I could hear it in your voice as soon as you heard me on the phone. You were ready to come get me wherever I was," Rachel sighed into the phone, "I think we're coming back ___in the next few days___. Do you want to come over for dinner? I'll cook."_

Finn grinned, relieved that his sister had extended an olive branch, "Yeah. I'd love that. Just let me know if I can bring anything. Love you Rach."

"_Love you too, Finn."_

…*****...***...*****

A little while later, Finn was laying on his couch attempting to take a nap. He had just dozed off when he heard three sharp knocks on his door. Sitting up silently, he stared at the door for a few brief moments, waiting to see if whoever it was would go away. Hearing the sound of knuckles against wood become louder and more persistent, Finn sighed and stood up, addressing the unwelcome guest on the other side of the door, "Okay, okay. I'm coming." Wrenching the door open in annoyance, he glared at his visitor, "What do you want," he paused and glared when he realized who stood before him, "Santana?"

Santana refused to let the larger boy intimidate her, and remembered the reason she showed up at Finn's apartment unannounced. "Hi Finn," she responded, her tone icy and detached, "We need to talk. Can I come in?"

**Westerly, RI**

Rachel hung up the phone and leaned her head against the car. Her conversation with Finn went better than she expected. There was no yelling, or swearing, and Finn actually acknowledged his part in the issues they were having. She had a small smile on her face until she heard the front door of the Puckerman home slam shut. She kept her eyes trained on the ground as she heard footsteps coming closer to her. She peeked a glance to see who was walking towards her, and when she saw Puck she let out a little sigh of relief. "Noah," she breathed, smiling at him brightly, but then she was the look of anger in his eyes and her smile dropped.

Puck brushed Rachel off and stalked over the driver's side of the car, ignoring the look of hurt in his girlfriend's eyes.

Rachel tried to grab for Puck's hand, and when he gently removed it from her grasp, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into me. It wasn't my place. I don't know why I said any of those things. I promise, I'll never say anything to Bridget again. She was just making me so angry. She was acting like a spoiled brat, and it's not fair to you. I'm _so sorry_, Noah. Please don't be mad at me," Rachel whispered, looking up at Puck. When he stared at her silently for a full minute, she bit her lip nervously. "Please, say something?"

Puck shook his head at his girlfriend, attempting to control his anger. "What you said in there to Bridget was…" he trailed off, trying to choose his next words carefully, "Not okay Rachel. Yes, she's being a brat, but she's also _only_ a teenager, and she's my sister. She's in there in _tears_, because of what you said." Puck shook his head. "I love you, Rachel, but you owe her an apology."

Rachel nodded sadly, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I know it was wrong, but she was acting like you tricked your Nana into leaving everything to you. I'll go back in and tell her how sorry I am." Rachel slowly stood up and crossed her arms over her body when she saw Puck's disappointed eyes on her. "I _really_ am sorry. Please don't be mad at me, Noah."

Puck saw a single tear fall down Rachel's face as she walked back to the house and sighed in frustration. Nothing in his life could ever just be _easy_ it seemed lately. Once Rachel was safely in the house, Puck unlocked the car and sat in the driver's seat, just staring at what was in front of him, and seeing nothing.

…*****...***...*****

Back inside the house, Rachel saw Bridget sitting on the couch, holding a pillow. "Bridget," Rachel said quietly as she approached the girl, "Are you okay?"

Bridget looked up at Rachel and glared at her, "Do I _look_ like I'm okay Rachel? You hardly know anything about me, and you just jumped down my throat. I'm sorry if you thought I was acting like a brat, but I'm not some perfect little princess like _you _are. I was completely gypped when it came to that Will, and we both know it. Seriously, don't take your issues with _your _brother out on me. Noah and I were perfectly fine until _you_ came along."

Rachel stood stock still, staring at Bridget. She couldn't believe the words coming out of the girl's mouth. Rachel hadn't had such malice thrown at her in a long time, and she was shocked at just how much it hurt coming from this fourteen year old child.

"Well," Bridget snapped, "Are you going to say anything or are you just going to stand here all day."

Rachel shook herself out of her stupor and looked at the younger girl fleetingly, "I was coming in here to apologize, but clearly you don't deserve it." Without giving Bridget the chance to respond, Rachel turned on her heel and walked out of the room to come face to face with Aaron and Hannah. She looked at their faces and steeled herself for another berating when she saw the disappointment in their eyes. "Aaron, Hanna, I'm so sorry. I know I was totally out of line. I completely understand if you never want me to come here again," she hung her head and waited for their response.

Hanna looked over to Aaron before shaking her head, "Rachel, I think it'd be best if we let this situation cool off a bit. It'll also give Aaron and me a chance to talk to Bridget here on her attitude as of late." Hanna looked towards her husband hoping he would be able to reassure a wounded looking Rachel.

"Right… Rachel please don't take this as we don't want to know you better or that we'll suddenly disapprove of your relationship with our son. This isn't your fault, okay? Tell Noah I'll call him later and to not contact his sister until we can straighten everything out." Aaron said gently, placing his hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Now, come here and give me a hug before you leave. Until then, tell my boy not to be too hard on you." He pulled Rachel into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay…" Rachel didn't know how to respond to their kindness. "I think I should go now, Noah is waiting for me. Thank you." Rachel gave Hanna a quick hug before scooting out the door. When she reached the car, Puck had it started, ready to go. Rachel thought twice about actually saying anything to him, not wanting to start a fight.

"Did you apologize?" Puck asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly, not bothering to look over at her.

Sighing, Rachel laid her head against the passenger window. "Your father said he'll call you later and not to contact your sister until he and your mother can talk to her." Rachel figured she wouldn't tell him the exact truth. Bridget had made some clear points though. If she were the issue…

"You didn't answer my question." Puck said, snapping Rachel from her train of thought.

"I'm not five Noah," Rachel meekly said, afraid of where this conversation could go.

The rest of the car ride was silent, neither one of them willing to speak first. Puck put the car into park not bothering to see if Rachel needed help out. He walked up to the house, ignoring the urge to glance back and see if Rachel was following him, he hated being mad at her. Puck opened the door and continued his way to the bedroom, slamming the door before Rachel could follow.

"Noah? Talk to me, please?" Rachel leaned against the door, hoping he would open it, and just hold her. When she received no answer, she pushed herself off it and trudged into the living room. Rachel toyed with her cell phone, she wanted so badly to talk to someone but hated running to others with her relationship problems. Finally giving in, she pulled up Santana's name.

_Are you free to talk? *Rachel _

She put her phone down and waited. After 15 minutes with no answer she gave up on hearing from Santana, Rachel pulled up Sam's name.

_Hey Sam, can you talk for a few minutes? *Rachel_

Her phone buzzed in her hand, Sam's name flashing on the screen. "Hello?" Rachel answered.

"For you? Of course I have a few minutes." Sam laughed.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Rachel asked nervously.

_"Nah, just walking home, you can keep me company. What's up? Where's Puck?"_

"We had a fight," she paused for a moment, "I think?"

_"You think?" Sam responded, as confused as Rachel sounded._

"I don't know what happened," Rachel exclaimed. "He wanted to talk to his sister, and he got snappy with me, but he apologized, and then Bridget was being a brat so I kind of yelled at her, and then I just left the house, and Puck came out and told me I needed to tell her I was sorry, and I went in to tell her, but she yelled at me for ruining their relationship, and I _told_ him I tried to apologize to her, and he's not talking to me. He just stormed into the house and locked himself in the bedroom," Rachel held back a sob, trying to figure out where she went wrong today.

_Sam sighed, "Its okay Rach. You didn't do anything wrong. Why did you yell at Bridget?"_

"I don't really know. I was frustrated with the way she was acting, and how it was upsetting Noah, and I guess I felt guilty because I was trying to fix their relationship, but Finn and I haven't been able to have a civilized conversation in _weeks_, and I just snapped. As soon as I yelled at her, I knew it was wrong. Everything just bubbled over all at once and I couldn't stop once I started," Rachel took a deep breath, "And now Noah hates me. I know he does."

_Sam sighed sadly, "Rach, I promise that he doesn't hate you. There's no way that's even possible."_

Rachel sniffled and nodded, even though she knew Sam couldn't see her. "But what do I do to get him to talk to me? Everything was perfect last night. We were laughing and talking and we even-" Rachel cut herself off before she continued that train of thought. "I just want him to talk to me Sam. I don't even know what I did to make him mad at me," Rachel whispered.

…*****...***...*****

On the other side of the house, Puck was staring out a window, wondering how everything turned to shit so fast. He and Rachel had been doing so well, and in the blink of an eye, they're fighting, _again._ He groaned in frustration and scrubbed his hands over his face. He was _such _an asshole. Rachel didn't deserve to be ignored or snapped at when she didn't even do anything wrong, but that was his sister that she yelled at. Bridget was only fourteen, and this was a very stressful time for their family, it could only be expected that she would act out to get a little extra attention. Puck knew that he had to go talk to Rachel and explain his actions, but he didn't know if he could handle seeing tears in her eyes, _again_. It seemed like all Rachel had done lately was cry, and it was _always_ his fault. _Fuck this,_ Puck thought; _I need to get out of here._ Looking over at his phone as it buzzed, he ignored his father's phone call and opened the door to hear Rachel on the phone with someone. He quietly stood in the hallway where he couldn't be seen, only feeling slightly guilty for eavesdropping on her conversation.

"_Yeah, Sam. You're right. Thanks for the advice. I'll call you later and let you know how everything goes." _When Puck heard that Rachel was talking to Sam about their relationship problems, he got momentarily upset.

Not thinking, he stormed into the living room, ignoring the smile that graced Rachel's face at his appearance, "Evans have good advice about our problems, Rach?" He crossed his arms and glared down at her.

Rachel's face dropped and her heart sank at the curt tone of Puck's voice. "I'm sorry, Noah. I needed someone to talk to and he was available," she responded timidly.

"If you want to talk to someone about _our _relationship, you need to talk to me, Rachel! I don't need you airing all of our shit for everyone to know about. I thought you _knew_ that. God, what has gotten into you today? First my sister, and now this? What the fuck _changed_ since we got here to make you act like this?" Puck towered over Rachel, choosing to ignore the tears in her eyes. "I swear, all of you are the fucking _same_. As soon as there's an issue, you go running to whoever the fuck will listen. Not everyone cares about your relationship drama. And really, if you would have just kept your mouth shut around Bridget, none of this would be happening."

Rachel registered the stinging sensation in her hand before she even realized she had hit Puck. "I cannot believe you just said that to me. How dare you," she hissed out, pushing past the hurt and focusing on the anger she was feeling. "Wasn't it _you_ who wanted me to have more friends? Wasn't it _you_ who thought it would be great for Sam and me to get along? Is that only supposed to be a good thing when it's convenient for you, _Puck?_" Rachel glared at Puck, daring him to respond. "I think I'm going to bed. It's been an exhausting day. You'll be fine out here by yourself, right?" Without waiting for a response, Rachel rushed to the bedroom and slammed the door shut, throwing herself down onto the bed and dissolving into tears.

…*****...***...*****

Hanna sighed heavily. "I wish _your _son wouldn't put his girlfriend in the middle of our family issues like that." She rubbed her forehead, "I love the girl to pieces but it's not fair to her to have this added stress to their relationship." She shook her head, sighing once again.

"I know, I know and I completely agree with you. I'll talk with him about it tonight. After we talk to our daughter." Aaron led his wife towards the stairs where they were sure to find Bridget in her room.

Hanna knocked on the white door, allowing Bridget a moment before they opened the door. "Bridget, we're coming in." Hanna pushed the door open, glancing around the messy room. "You need to clean this room young lady."

"Sure mom, whatever you say." Bridget had her back to her parents with no desire to turn around to face them.

Aaron sat down on her bed, "I think it's time we discussed your attitude. If you think for one minute we'll allow it to continue you're absolutely wrong." Aaron was as tired as Hanna was about the way their daughter was acting. "Let's discuss why you have been acting like this before we hand down a punishment."

Bridget sat up and twisted around to look at her parents. "Punishment?!" She screeched.

"Yes Bridget Puckerman. A punishment for the way you've been acting since before Thanksgiving. We are done with it Bridget. So tell us what has you in this attitude and then we'll tell you what said punishment is." Hanna snapped, sitting next to her husband watching her daughter sulk. "We don't have all night Bridget!"

Bridget huffed, rolling her eyes. "Fine! You want to know what my issue is? It seems like every since _Rachel _waltzed in our lives everything in my life has gone downhill! Noah moved away for college out of state when he could've stayed here and went to school. He doesn't come home anymore like he used to. Not only did Nana love him but you two think the sun shines out of...well you know what I mean. It seems like all he cares about is Rachel. Rachel is always with him; Rachel takes him away from us!" Bridget seethed, finally getting it all off her chest.

Aaron took a deep breath. "So, it's Noah and Rachel's fault your grades are slipping? It's their fault you _l__ied_ to us? Saying you're going to a friend's house after a football game this fall and then heading to a party and _drinking_! You're 14 Bridget! I will not take this kind of behavior from _my _14 year old daughter! You talk back to both your mother and I; you're never home and when you are, you hole yourself up in your room!" Aaron was now standing, pacing the length of her room.

Bridget stood up, facing her father. "Noah did it! Noah 'acted' out! Went to parties, lied to you…"

Hanna cut her off. "But your brother stopped; never let his grades slip, and got into NYU. We're worried about you Bridget. Your brother needs a life too, yes he moved out, yes he _finally_ found a decent women and she's kind and cares about all of us. Take a step back Bridget, he can't stay here forever and be at your every beck and call. I know Noah has messed up in the past but that doesn't mean you follow his same footsteps. You have all this resentment built against Rachel because…?" Hanna wondered out loud. "She took your brother? Wake up Bridget! Noah will always be _your _big brother. He will always love you, he will always be there for you, and no one can take that away from you. I know this is new for you, for all of us. None of us are used to 'sharing' Noah but...give Rachel a shot. Maybe if you'd actually be nice to her she'd be more willing to come spend time here.

"And all this bullshit about your Nana's will is absolutely ridiculous and she's probably rolling over in her coffin. This is not what she would've wanted. She did things the way she thought best. It was her money after all. And let me tell you, you do not need that kind of money right now. Your father and I are providing for you just fine. And Noah didn't come out of this free and clear either. There are many stipulations for him to get his inheritance as well." Hanna paused and watched what she said sink in. Hanna hated play the bad cop so to speak but it was needed in this moment. "Now, with all that being said. I'll take your cell phone, the laptop, the cable box to your TV as well as the DVD player; you're grounded until further notice. No staying after school, no sports games and absolutely no friends sleeping over or you spending the night." Hanna walked out the door without another word.

Bridget stood there shocked to her core. "But, but."

Aaron cut her off, "Enough Bridget. You'll also need to apologize to Rachel and Noah for your recent attitude towards them and the will. Hopefully you stop. Good night." Aaron walked out of his daughter's room closing the door behind him. While he wanted to seek out his wife, he needed to make a phone call.

Aaron made his way to his office, dialing his son's phone number again, hoping he'd get a response this time.

"_Hey dad," Puck sighed. _

"Good evening Noah. I wanted to talk to you for a minute, do you have time?" Aaron sat down at his desk, picking up a pen to doodle.

"_Yeah dad, what's up?" _

"Well, I just finished talking to your sister or your mother did but you know her. Anyways before you go taking your anger out on Rachel, I need to talk to you. Bridget has been acting out quite a bit lately. Your mother and I have tried to hide it from you. You've been dealing with so much, we felt you didn't need another burden. It seems your relationship has seemed to spark some insecurity with her. That because you're with Rachel you don't love her…"

"_That's fucking bullshit! And you didn't hear the way Rachel acted towards Bridget! It was rude and uncalled for! Bridget is only 14 for Christ sakes!" _

"Noah! Now you listen to me! I'm not saying that Rachel was right, but this isn't her fault. Bridget has been awful lately. I know she's your sister, but look at it from someone elses point of view. She's up in arms about a will, having a temper tantrum over your relationship..." Puck stayed silent, Aaron sighed heavily. "She's drinking Noah, she's 14 and she's drinking."

_Puck cut him off, "Yeah. But _I _was drinking at 14 dad, and you didn't freak out on me."_

"Yes, Noah. But you were never like this. She's sneaking out, going to parties in Warwick and Providence. Last week she was so drunk she didn't remember how she got home. Her grades are slipping, she's never home, and she's lying to us and yelling at us when she is at home. She's spiraling out of control and taking it out on everyone. Your mother and I have grounded her. Hopefully she gets herself on the right path."

"_I'm sorry dad. I didn't know." _Aaron could hear a sigh of defeat coming from his son.

"You didn't know and we didn't exactly go telling everyone. You need to live your life too. She was never actually hurt or in any real danger, we didn't want to worry you." Aaron rubbed his face, feeling a massive headache forming.

"_Look I better let you go, I think I owe someone else an apologize." _

Aaron chuckled, "Alright Son, try not to screw this up anymore than you already have." Aaron hung up after Puck had said his good buys. He sometimes just didn't understand his children. Looking up Aaron met the eyes of his wife. "Well I think Noah already took out some anger on Rachel, hopefully an apology will make it better." Aaron shook his head.

Hanna walked across the office, taking a seat on her husband's knee. "You know, I'll never know where our children got their hot head's from."

"Oh! Really? Do you need me to remind you who didn't let me get a word in while trying to explain to our daughter why she couldn't act that way? Because I'm pretty sure that was all you." Aaron wrapped his arm around Hanna's waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. Hanna slapped his arm playfully, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

…***...***...***

Once Puck hung up the phone with his father, he sighed heavily and hung his head. How did he manage to screw things up so badly? He walked back to the bedroom and was about to open the door, but paused when he heard Rachel sobbing. _Maybe I should give her some time,_ he thought to himself. Instead of opening the door, Puck leaned his forehead against it, his heart breaking with every sob Rachel let out.

He stood there for what felt like hours, and was broken from his thoughts by the buzzing of his phone. _Seriously asshole, the fuck is your problem? Stop taking your stress and frustration out on Rachel. -Sam_

Knowing his friend was right, he knocked on the door lightly, "Rach," he said softly, "Can you let me in?"

"_It's unlocked,"_ he heard Rachel's muffled voice call out from the other side of the door.

Realizing that was as good as he was going to get at that moment, he opened the door and felt his heart break when he saw Rachel. She was curled up into a ball in the middle of the bed, her hair tangled from being tugged on so much. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and she just looked so damn _small_. "Can I sit," he asked tentatively.

"That depends," Rachel croaked out, "Are you going to yell at me some more?"

Puck shook his head, "No. I never meant to yell at you in the first place," he told her as he sat as far away from her as he could, giving her as much space as she needed.

Rachel looked over at him and bit her lip before slowly moving closer to him, "Then why did you do it?"

Puck sighed, "Everything was just building, and unfortunately you were the one who was closest when I couldn't hold it in anymore. I am _so sorry_. I never should have yelled at you, or demanded that you apologize to my sister. I never should have told you that you can't talk to other people about our problems, especially when _I _won't talk to _you._ My dad just called me and told me that with the way she's been acting you were probably well within your rights."

Rachel nodded and sat up, "She blamed me for you and her fighting," she mumbled, looking around the room.

Puck sighed, "I know. Dad told me that too. But I want you to know that it is _not _your fault, okay? It is between my sister and I, and you have nothing to do with this. This was happening well before you and I started dating. I'm pretty sure I know where her issues are stemming from, and it has _nothing _to do with you. This is all me, okay?"

Rachel sniffled, and ran her hands through her hair again to get the mess out of her face. "I'm sorry too."

Puck looked at Rachel confused, "For what, babe?"

Rachel blushed crimson, "For hitting you, and for calling you Puck."

"I deserved both of those things, Rach. But if it makes you feel better, I forgive you."

Rachel nodded minutely and leaned up against Puck's shoulder, closing her eyes, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I talked to Finn on the phone earlier today. We actually had a good conversation," Rachel smiled, "I invited him over for dinner when we get back home. Is that okay?"

Puck chuckled and kissed the top of her forehead, "Babe, its perfect."

**A/N: There was a lot of drama going on in this chapter, so if you need anything explained, feel free to ask me in a review. I know that Puck might have seemed harsh to some of you, but high stress situations can make even The Pope snap. ****Also remember, Rachel has no relationship experience except Jesse, and Puck only ever "dated" girls before. They're both figuring this out together. ****Next chapter is the first NEW chapter! I'm so excited! I'm hoping to have it finished soon!**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Broken**

**A/N: We're going back to New York for a good bit of this chapter. There was A LOT of different POVs last chapter, and I need to clear up some things for future chapters to make sense AND THEN!...its about to go DOWN!**

**Chapter 2****3****\- ****Take me Back to the Start**

**New York City ****(Finn)**

Santana refused to let the larger boy intimidate her, and remembered the reason she showed up at Finn's apartment unannounced. "Hi Finn," she responded, her tone icy and detached, "We need to talk. Can I come in?"

Finn glared at the girl before him, arms crossed "What do you want? Puck's not here right now," he growled.

Santana nodded, "I know. He's in Westerly with Rachel. Look," she sighed, "Can I just come in, please? There's something important that you need to know."

Finn shook his head. "No. What makes you think I'll believe anything that comes out of your mouth? After all the trouble you've caused us? I don't even know how Quinn is friends with you."

Santana sighed, "Look, Finn, you don't have to like me. That's fine. But I've talked to Puck, and Rachel. They both forgive me, okay? Now, you need to listen to what I have to say. This is about Rachel and that jackass who hurt her."

Finn stood a little straighter. "Jesse? How do you know about him?"

Santana looked at him sadly, "You really should let me come inside. You're going to need to sit down for this."

Finn nodded and moved out of the doorway, motioning to the couch. "Take a seat. Can I get you anything? Water? Alcohol?"

Santana shook her head, "I'm fine," she said as she swiftly walked to the couch and sat. "Before I start, I just want you to know that I had _no idea_ before Puck took Rachel to meet his grandparents who this person was, okay? I might be a bitch, but I'm not that much of a bitch. It wasn't until Puck's grandfather talked to me that I realized what was going on."

Finn was trying to follow Santana's thoughts and rubbed his face in frustration. "Santana, just spit it out, already."

Santana took a deep breath, "When you and Quinn started fighting, right around when Rachel moved in, and then worse when Rach and Puck started dating, Quinn would vent to me. Told me how Rachel had this boyfriend who _hurt_ her pretty badly in Lima. She told me that you were best friends with him, and you moved to New York because you felt so guilty and couldn't face your own sister. Remember when you came back to New York early after the holidays?" She questioned and waited for Finn's nod before she continued, "Well, Quinn came back too, but not for a few days. She wanted to spend some time alone thinking things over," Santana scoffed while rolling her eyes, "When she was home alone, a certain ex-boyfriend of your sister's paid Quinn a visit.

"He spewed some nonsense to her about how he's _changed_, how jail made him see how wrong he was. He complimented her, called her _as radiant as ever_ or something ridiculous. I don't know, she was feeling fat that day and he played on her emotions."

Finn paced in front of Santana, growing nervous. "What did he _do, _Santana? What did Quinn do?"

Santana looked up at Finn, tears in her eyes, "You _really_ should sit, Finn." She stared Finn down until he complied with her request. "Quinn is how Jesse got Rachel's phone number." She braced herself for the explosion she knew was coming, but when Finn stayed silent, she looked at him hesitantly. "Finn?"

"She tried to tell me," Finn whispered, "But I told her I didn't want to talk to her. That I was busy. Why would she do this? How could she do this? To me? To Rachel?!" Finn's voice rose with each word. "She was _there_. She was in the hospital with Rachel. She held Rachel's hand while the cops took pictures. She stood by Rachel's side when she had to testify. She slept on our couch for _weeks_ so Rachel would have someone to help with her cuts and bruises."

Santana had tears in her eyes, "I am so, so, so sorry. I promise that as soon as I found out I tried to get her to tell you. When it was clear she wouldn't, I knew I had to tell you."

Finn nodded, "Thanks, Santana. But why tell me? Why not tell Puck?"

Santana shrugged, "Well, Puck might be her boyfriend, but you're still Rachel's brother. No matter what happens between you two, you still love her." She sighed, "Look, you need to talk to Puck. I don't know exactly what he's planning, but I know his grandfather gave him some pretty solid advice."

**...***...***...*****

**Westerly, RI**

Puck was woken to the ringing of his phone in his ear. "'Lo?" He grumbled out. "Who is this?"

"_Puck, it's me," Finn's voice rang out over the phone_.

"Dude, why are you calling me at," Puck looked at his phone, "2:00 in the morning?"

_Finn sighed, "Look, I know we haven't been on the best terms lately, and I'm sorry. I'm trying to get my shit together."_

Puck groaned, "Finn, man. This isn't the time for a chick-flick moment, okay?"

"_I know," Finn said. "I really wish this could've waited, but it can't. I," Finn sighed, "I know how Jesse got Rachel's phone number."_

At that comment, Puck shot out of bed and tiptoed into the hallway, being careful not to wake Rachel. "What do you mean? How do you know? Who is it?"

"_My _girlfriend._ Well, my _ex-_girlfriend, but we haven't had that conversation yet. She's my next call," Finn growled._

Puck had to lean up against the wall for support. "What the _fuck_ do you mean? Why would Quinn do that? I thought you said she was the only one Rach would give the whole story to?"

_Finn grunted, "Apparently St. Jerkface complimented her when she was feeling _fat_ or some bullshit. I don't really know. Santana came over and told me. I was going to wait until a more decent time to call you, but I couldn't sleep without telling you guys."_

Puck sighed deeply. "Alright. Look, Rachel and I were supposed to stay here for a few more days, but I can cut the trip short. As soon as she's up, we'll go to my parent's and then head back to New York. Everything that I need to do here can be done from New York. Try to get some sleep. I'll call you when we're on the road." Puck almost hung up, but thought of something, "Oh, and expect to have roommates again."

"_What are you talking about," Finn asked._

"I was in such a rush to get Rachel into the new place that I didn't have time to make all the security upgrades I wanted for the apartment. We'll be staying with you again until that's done. If that's okay?"

_Finn grinned, even though Puck couldn't see him, "Dude, it's your place. You can come and go as you please. Do you need me to grab anything for you? Evans and I can bring some stuff over."_

"That'd be awesome, Finn. Just text Sam. He knows the code and has an extra key to get in. Honestly, just the bed from the guest room and all of Pixie's stuff. Everything else I can grab later. See you soon, Finn." Puck hung up the phone and winced at the thought of calling his grandfather before 4:00 in the morning. "Better get it over with, Puckerman," he said to himself. Before he could dial the number, he heard the bedroom door open quietly.

"Noah?" Rachel yawned. "What are you doing up?"

Puck held in a groan, "I'm sorry princess. I didn't mean to wake you. Why don't you go back to bed?" He tried to usher Rachel back to the bedroom, but she wouldn't budge.

"I woke up as soon as you got out of bed. What's going on? It's about _him_ isn't it?" Rachel crossed her arms and looked at the ground.

Puck swallowed hard and pulled Rachel to his chest. "Yeah, Rach. Finn just called me. He uh, he found out how Jesse," he winced at how Rachel tensed at the name, "got your number."

Rachel sniffled and looked up at Puck with tears in her eyes, "It was Quinn, wasn't it?" When Puck nodded, Rachel let out a single sob. "I knew it. I mean besides my family and your family, she was the only one with my number. She was the only one still in Lima when he got out." She wiped tears off her cheeks, "Why would she do that though? She knows what he did? How could she be so cruel, Noah?"

Puck tightened his arms around his girlfriend and kissed the top of her head, "I wish I knew, baby. Finn and I plan on figuring that out as soon as we get back to New York."

Rachel nodded. "When are we leaving?" She turned to walk down the hallway, but was stopped by Puck's gentle grip on her wrist. "Noah, what are you doing?"

Puck pulled Rachel back to him, "Baby, go back to bed for a few more hours. I'll get the car packed, and as soon as we're done at my parents we'll be back on the road."

Rachel shook her head, "No. I'm up. Let me make some coffee," she said through a yawn.

"Babe, go back to sleep," Puck chuckled.

Rachel huffed and stomped her foot, "No. Noah. I will _not _ go back to sleep. This is my fight too. He ruined my life before, and I just started living again. I'll be damned if I let him ruin anything else. What do you need help with?" She tore through the house, flicking on lights as she went. Walking to the kitchen, she started a pot of coffee and stared into the darkness of the early morning. "He had so much power over me for so long. I won't let it happen again. He controlled my life for _three years, _Noah. He cost me my future, he almost cost me my life. He won't get away with it again. I won't let him. Now, you call your grandfather. I'm going to call Sam and ask if we can stay with him for a few days."

Puck looked at his girlfriend confused. "Why would we need to stay with Sam, babe?"

Rachel sighed and poured a mug of coffee for herself and Puck, "Well because I'm assuming you're going to be making some upgrades to the apartment that we can't be there for, and seeing as you and Finn haven't had the _best_ track record lately, I just assumed we'd stay with Sam or something." She bit her lip and looked down, "But if you want to stay in a hotel or something, that's fine. I'm sorry. I don't know why I just assumed where we would go." She grimaced. "Of _course_ you wouldn't want to stay with Sam. How could I be so stupid. God, Rachel," she began berating herself, "You can be so stupid sometimes."

Puck frowned and gently set Rachel's mug down before hugging her. "Princess, if you want to stay with Sam, that's where we'll stay. I just figured you'd want to stay with your brother right now."

Rachel sniffled, "Then where will you stay?"

"With your brother, silly." He kissed the top of her head. "When he called, I told him. He's running to the apartment to pick up a few things for us."

Rachel smiled, but then frowned. "Look, Noah. While I want _desperately _to be back with my brother, I can't have you two fighting over me again. I won't do it. I hate feeling like I'm choosing between the two of you."

Puck nodded, "I'm sorry, baby. Neither one of us ever meant for that to happen, I promise. Right now, _you _are our main priority. As long as you're happy, that's all we care about. I promise, Finn and I will work it out, okay? We were friends before, I'm sure we can be friends again. I mean, I guess I'd be pretty pissed if one of my friends started dating my sister without asking me," Puck shrugged and held Rachel at arms length. "Now, you go get dressed. There's a diner around here that opens at like 4:30 every morning and they have _the best _Soupey Omelets."

**...***...***...*****

Things inside the Puckerman household were tense. Rachel and Puck were on one couch, with Bridget, Hanna, and Aaron on the other. "Bridget, I believe you have something to say to Rachel," Hanna prompted.

"Right," Bridget scoffed. "I'm sorry I was so _mean _to you yesterday, Rachel. I sincerely hope you can forgive me. Even though _you're _the one ruining my relationship with Noah, and _you're _the reason that _I _was crying yesterday. It's totally my fault." She rolled her eyes and glared at her parents, "May I go to my room now?" Without waiting for permission, Bridget stood and stormed up to her room.

Rachel looked at Puck and his parents helplessly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I've ruined everything." She turned to Puck and stood, "Can you give me the keys, Noah? I'll go wait in the car while you're saying goodbye to your parents."

Puck shook his head and gently pulled Rachel to sit down again. "I really didn't want to ever have to say this again, Berry. You're not leaving. I _really_ don't want to say it again to you." He grinned and Rachel chuckled.

Rachel nodded, "Okay, Noah." She turned to Hanna and Aaron, "I really am sorry. I wish I knew what I could do to make Bridget forgive me."

Hanna smiled sadly, "Oh, Rachel. It's not you, I promise. Bridget has been dealing with a lot lately. Aaron and I were so concerned with Nana that we didn't see how she was crying out for help until now. I'm just sorry she's unleashing her anger on you."

Puck looked between his parents and his girlfriend. "I'm gonna head up to Bridget's room. See if I can talk some sense into her." He kissed Rachel's forehead and stood. Puck sighed heavily, trying to expel the tension from his body before heading up the stairs.

He took the stairs two at a time, and knocked gently when he reached his sister's door. "Hey, Bridg. Can I come in?"

"I guess," the muffled voice came from behind the door.

Puck opened the door slowly, then carefully closed it behind him once he was inside. "So," he said as he sat at his sisters desk, "Wanna tell me what's been going on lately? Dad told me some things. Like how you've been drinking? Sneaking out? Lying to them?" He looked at his sister. "Any of these things ringing a bell?"

Bridget huffed, "I don't get why its such a big deal. You did all that stuff when you were my age."

Puck laughed humorlessly, "I did. You're right. But I got myself into a _lot _of trouble for it. I almost flunked out of high school. I almost lost _you. _Look, I know I haven't been around much lately, and I'm sorry. It's been a big change, I know. You're not used to having to share me with anyone. But you can't tell me that you hate Rachel. I know you don't." He looked at his sister. "Is there something going on that you don't want to tell mom and dad? I promise, it'll stay between us."

Bridged shook her head, but then nodded. "It's just been so _hard._ Especially since the funeral. Everyone is constantly asking how we're doing. They want to know if I'm okay, they want to know how you're coping. But I can tell they don't really want to know. They don't really care. They're asking because it's nice, not because they want the answer." She sniffled and looked at Puck. "And then, here you are. Acting fine. Acting like nothing happened, but being _so concerned _with the Will and the reading of it. You didn't ask if I was okay, you didn't ask if I needed anything. You've just been focused on yourself."

Puck sighed and moved to sit next to his sister. "Bridget, I'm sorry." He groaned and raked his hands through his hair. "Mom and Dad didn't want me to tell you this. They thought it would worry your or some shit," he rolled his eyes, "I was _there _the day she died. I watched Nana take her last breaths. I was the one who had to call hospice. I was the one who had to call mom and dad. I may seem okay on the outside, but on the inside I'm a wreck. I can't sleep, I can barely eat. All I want to do is call her, and I can't. I'm putting up a front for everyone so they don't worry, but I am _not _fine. I know this is hard, but you've got to stop lashing out at everyone Bridg. I promise, mom and dad _do _care about you. Just talk to them."

**...***...***...*****

**New York City (Finn)**

Finn stood in front of Puck and Rachel's apartment building, waiting for Sam to show up. He wouldn't admit it to Rachel, but it really hurt not knowing the most _basic _things about her life when someone she just met a few months ago did. He made a silent promise to his sister, and himself, in that moment to make things right. Finn shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. He was getting ready to call Sam when the blond showed up. "Hey man, ready to do this?"

Sam nodded at Finn, "Yeah. But before we go in there, you and I need to have a chat. Normally I wouldn't get involved with other people's drama like this, but Rachel is your sister and she's..." he trailed off briefly, "She's like a sister to me." Sam let his mind wander to the conversation he had with Rachel the day before. He knew she would be _pissed _that he walked out on his date just to answer her phone call.

Finn looked at Sam nervously, "Is she okay? Did something happen? Is it Puck?" Finn stood up straight, his body humming with anxiety.

"She's fine Finn. Physically, she's fine," Sam sighed, "She called me yesterday afternoon, _really _upset. She got in a fight with Puck about something. I don't really understand myself what was going on. All I know is that she yelled at his sister? And Puck got mad at her?" He shook his head, "Look, I'm telling you this because you're her brother. But more than that, you're also Pucks friend. Before he started dating Rachel. Before Rachel moved in. You guys have been friends for _years_, dude. You need to figure out some way to make this work. It's not fair to your sister. She feels like she has to choose between the two of you, and it's not right. She loves you both. You should be happy for her. You know Puck. You know he's a good guy. She's with someone who loves her, who always puts her happiness before his own. What more could you ask for?"

Finn sighed, "You're right, dude. It's just been hard. I've gone from being the person Rachel goes to for everything to second string. All I want is for her to be happy."

Sam clapped Finn on the shoulder, then punched in the code to get into the building. "They're on the third floor. Did Puck say what they needed?"

"Ummm," Finn thought aloud as they took the elevator to the third floor "Pixie's stuff, and the bed in the guest room is all he mentioned. He said he'd come for everything else. But maybe it'd be nice to have some of Rach's stuff over there for her already?"

Sam nodded and unlocked the apartment door. "Alright, you get Rachel's things, and I'll gather Pixie's shit."

**...***...***...*****

**New York City (Santana and Quinn)**

Quinn shoved Santana into the wall as soon as she came into the living room, "I _can't believe _you told him! You promised you wouldn't!"

Santana pushed past her roommate and rolled her eyes. "I told him because you didn't. I knew your were never going to own up to what you did, Quinn." Santana rushed into the kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee. "How long were you going to hide this from them? Until Jesse hurt Rachel again? Until she was so traumatizes she went back to Ohio? Until her relationship with Finn was damaged beyond repair? I mean, I can _get _not wanting to be BFFs with her, but shit! You've been dating her brother for five fucking years! You were the only one she would open up to! Do you realize how petty you sound?" She huffed, "Oh Santana, you don't understand," she said in a mocking tone, "I was feeling fat. Finn and I had been fighting. He said he only wanted to apologize." Santana scoffed and looked at Quinn disgusted. "No, it's bullshit. You were being a selfish bitch. So now, you're going to get your ass _out _of my fucking apartment, and I'm going over to Finn's to help him and Sam get shit set up for Puck and Rachel." She glared at Quinn one last time before heading back to her bedroom, "I want you out by tomorrow. I don't care where you go, but it's not going to be here."

**A/N: Welp, there it is :) The first NEW chapter! I'm so excited! I know there was a lot of back and forth, but there were a lot of things that needed to be cleared up before we can move forward :) Next chapter will be back at the apartment with Finn, Puck, and Rachel. Please let me know what you think! I'm not normally one to beg for reviews, but this story has had SO MANY hits, and has a decent amount of follows and faves that I hope people start reviewing soon :) **


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Broken**

**A/N: I am sooooooooo fluffing sorry it took so long to get this out! I got engaged, found out my brother is getting divorced and went through like 4 audits at work. It was rough! And to top it all off...I had this chapter halfway written, and it didn't save...so now I must recreate it! Also, a slight warning...this chapter gets a little citrusy...nothing NSFW or graphic, but its there.**

**Chapter 24- ****Patience**

Rachel stood in the living room glancing between her brother and her boyfriend. She knew it was her fault. She didn't think to even check if Finn was home before she let Noah pull her onto the couch in the middle of the day. "Finn, calm down," she pleaded to her brother.

Finn ran his hands over his face, "Rach," he sighed, "I'm not mad about what I walked in on. " He paused at the glare Rachel gave him, "Okay, maybe I'm a little mad. But I'm not _mad_, mad. I wasn't prepared to walk in on my sister and her boyfriend half-naked on my couch. There are some things that I need to pretend don't happen."

Rachel giggled, "Oh, Finn." She patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Finn groaned, "You didn't do anything wrong, Rachel. Lord knows you walked in on Quinn and me in plenty of compromising situations over the years. It's gonna take me time to remember that you're not a little girl anymore." He pulled Rachel into a tight hug.

Puck smirked, "Sorry, dude. Your sisters hot," he shrugged and walked into the kitchen to give Rachel and Finn a chance to talk.

Rachel looked at her brother and frowned, "I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in your own house."

Finn shook his head and pulled Rachel into a hug, "You didn't make me uncomfortable Rachel. I'm not a complete idiot, ya know. I know what you and Puck do behind closed doors," he chuckled at his sister's bright red cheeks, "That's not what I meant, and you know it. I'm happy you're happy. That's all I've wanted for a really long time." He grabbed her hand and guided her to the recliner in the far corner of the room. "Just, maybe warn a guy next time? Or keep it in the bedroom?"

Rachel nodded, "Yeah, Finnie. I can do that." She sat and then looked at her brother. "You do know I'm sorry, right?" she bit her lip and looked down.

"About what, Rach?" Finn knelt in front of her.

Rachel sniffled and brushed a tear away roughly, "Quinn. I didn't mean for you to focus more on my issues than your relationship."

Finn gently pulled Rachel off the recliner and hugged her, "Rachel," he began, "you have nothing to apologize for. I do not blame you at all. You are the most important person in my life. I thought she knew that, but apparently not. Now, what do you say we invite Evans and Santana over?"

...***...***...***

Puck smiled as he looked around the room. Finn was leaning against the couch, laughing at something Santana said while Sam was sitting with Rachel, showing her how to play _Call of Duty_. "Rach is a natural, Finn," Puck chuckled. "Next time you can't play we'll just tell her to squad up."

"You will do no such thing, Noah Puckerman," she glared at him and then screeched, "What do I do?! How do I make these invites go away?"

Sam, Puck, and Finn all laughed together before Sam answered. "It's just Chang. You can ignore him. He probably thinks Finn is on."

Rachel gasped, "But it's rude to ignore your friends, Sam. Surely you can call him and tell him?"

Sam smiled indulgently at the brunette, "It's fine, Rach. One of us will message him later and let him know we were showing you the ropes."

Rachel nodded, hesitantly. "Okay. If you're sure."

Puck walked over and planted a kiss on her forehead, "We're sure, babe. Don't worry about it." He looked at his phone and then motioned for Finn and Santana to follow him to the kitchen, "Babe, Finn, Santana, and I have to discuss something. You okay in here with Evans for a few minutes?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Yes, Noah, I'll be fine. Is it about him?"

Puck nodded, "Yeah. I'll tell you later, okay?"

Rachel nodded and watched the trio walk into the kitchen. "Sam, could I ask you something?"

Sam looked at her "What's up, Rach?"

She bit her lip and looked at him, "Do you think that Finn and Noah will be able to stay friends? Once all this mess is over, I mean. Right now they have a common goal to focus on. But after that? Do you think they'll go back to fighting over me all the time? Because I can't do it again. I won't do it again. I'd move back to Ohio before I came between their friendship."

Sam shook his head and pulled Rachel into a tight hug. "Rachel, I promise you that they'll be able to stay friends. Finn and I talked the other day. I called him out on how much of an ass he's been being. And Puck knows how important your brother is to you. He's felt really bad about your relationship with Finn lately. Everything will work itself out. They both love you, and only want what's best for you, okay?"

Rachel nodded, "Yeah, Sam. Thanks. You're the best friend a girl could ask for."

...***...***...***

After Sam and Santana had left, and Finn had gone to bed, Rachel and Puck were laying on the couch. "Is everything okay, Noah?" Rachel asked.

Puck ran his fingers through her hair gently. "Of course. Why would you ask that?"

Rachel looked up at him timidly, "Well, I mean, obviously something happened involving Jesse, and you went into the kitchen to discuss it. I figured it wasn't good news if you wanted to keep it from me."

Puck sighed, "Rach, we weren't trying to keep it from you. Santana knows everything, and so does Finn obviously, but I didn't know how much Evans knew, or how much you wanted him to know."

Rachel looked at Puck with wide eyes, "You mean, no one told Sam what's going on? Why does he think we moved back in?"

Puck gently sat Rachel up before sitting up himself, "Baby," he began before turning towards her, "It's not my story to tell. It's not Finn's story to tell. It's yours. He knows the basics that we all knew when Finn told us his sister was moving in with him. That something bad had happened to you, and you needed a change of scenery. None of us would tell him anything without your permission. Sam's a smart guy, so I'm sure he's figured out what happened, but he doesn't know any details."

Rachel nodded. "Do you think I should tell him?"

Puck kissed her palm, "That's not something I can answer for you, Rach. You have to decide that for yourself. But to answer your other question, my Pops called me. He told me that he got in touch with your lawyer from Ohio. Jesse is already in violation of his probation. One of the conditions of his release was a 3-year no-contact order. That means phone calls, text messages, letters, showing up at your residence, anything that could constitute him trying to talk to you. Just with the messages, he's sent you, we can get him sent back to prison.

"My Pops also helped me contact a lawyer here in New York. The guy is a shark, but he'll help us. He wants us to keep your phone number the same for the next couple weeks and see if Jesse contacts you again. You have to promise me that you'll tell either Finn or me if he texts you again."

Rachel nodded. "Of course I will. Have you informed my fathers about what's going on? As much as I'm still mad at them, they need to know what's going on."

"Of course Finn and I told your dads, Rachel. They wanted to fly out here as soon as they heard, but Finn convinced them not to." He smiled at his girlfriend. "Now what do you say we continue what we started earlier," Puck whispered in her ear before trailing feather-light kisses up and down her neck. At Rachel's content sigh, he grinned before pulling her in for a kiss.

Rachel fisted Puck's shirt and pulled him on top of her before hitching her leg over his hip, and pulling his shirt over his head. She moaned elatedly as he trailed open-mouthed kisses from her jaw down to her chest. "Noah," she sighed, arching her body impossibly closer to his, "that feels so good." Rachel's breath shuddered when she felt Puck's hands slide under her shirt to gently graze her breasts. She bit her lip when he pushed her shirt up and bent his head to gently flick her left nipple with his tongue. Rachel's hands that had tangled in Puck's hair traveled down his back to his hips, pulling the lower half of his body closer to hers.

Puck moaned and choked out a "fuck baby," before grinding himself against Rachel and switching his attention to the other breast. His right hand skimmed her side before he slipped it under the yoga pants she was wearing. Puck searched her eyes for any signs of hesitation and finding none, he ghosted his fingers along the edge of her panties, smiling against her breast at her sharp intake of breath.

"Noah," she whispered, "touch me please," she pleaded as she unbuttoned his jeans and tried to get them over his hips.

"We should probably move this into the bedroom, Rach."

Rachel groaned in protest before sighing, "You're right. We should."

**...***...***...*****

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered the next morning.

Puck pulled Rachel close to him and kissed her shoulder, "Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm not upset with you." He sighed as he thought back to the previous night. Everything had been fine when they were just making out on the couch, and Rachel had been the one to lead him into the bedroom. Then he shut the door and when he turned back to kiss Rachel, her whole demeanor had changed. She panicked and cried, curling into a ball in front of their bed.

Rachel shook her head, "No, Noah. It's not okay. You were obviously expecting something to happen last night, and I can tell that your frustrated it didn't. I feel like the worlds biggest tease. We already slept together once, so I don't know why my brain decided to turn it into a huge ordeal." She stood from the bed and looked out the window. She had been so embarrassed last night, and looking back on it she was still mortified.

_She led Puck into the bedroom and was in the process of slipping her shirt over her head when she heard the door click. Her head shot up as she tensed, and her shirt fell to the ground. "Noah," she gasped before she sank to the floor. She vaguely heard Puck call her name. She thought she heard him yell for Finn, and then all hell broke loose, again. Finn burst into the room and knelt_

_in front of her, desperate for Rachel to talk to him. She could hear raised voices speaking gibberish around her and clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to shut all the sound out._

_Rachel shook her head and her breathing stuttered, "Finn?" she remembered asking, "What's going on?" She didn't know why she was on the floor. Why Noah had tears in his eyes. She couldn't understand why she was half-naked with Finn in the room. "Why is Noah upset?"_

_She could hear Puck clear his throat, "I'm fine, princess." he sounded underwater and too far away from her. "I'm gonna go so you and Finn can talk, okay?"_

_Rachel shook her head, "No. Noah." She tried to reach for him. "Don't leave me. I'm sorry."_

_She thought she heard Finn mumble something like nothing wrong and Noah sigh and say of course I didn't. Rachel just wanted to know what was going on._

_"Finn," she cried, "Leave Noah alone." she sobbed when she heard more yelling, "Stop fighting over me!" she shrieked before somehow managing to run to her bathroom and slamming the door._

Puck kissed the top of Rachel's head and gave her a sad smile, "Rachel, I love you. Nothing is going to change that. I knew things wouldn't always be easy or perfect. We'll figure it out, I promise. Do you want to go talk to Finn? He's been worried sick all night about you.

Rachel shook her head. "No. I'm too mad at him right now. Did he really think you were going to tell me last night was my fault?" she scoffed, "I mean, it was, but you would never say that to my face."

Puck stood from the bed and walked to the door, "I need to go for a run," he ground out.

"Is everything okay Noah?" Rachel frowned and sniffled. She knew she should have just sucked it up and let him have sex with her last night; it's not like they hadn't already done it before.

Puck felt his head hit the door, "Yeah, Rach. Everything is fine. I just need to think about some things."

**...***...***...*****

Rachel locked herself in her bedroom for the rest of the day. Pixie curled up right next to her, licking errant tears that ran down Rachel's cheeks. She heard a soft knock at the door and mumbled a response that sounded like _"come in"_.

"Everything okay, Rach?"

Rachel looked up and shook her head when she saw her brother. "No. It's not," her voice cracked. "Noah left this morning to go for a run and he hasn't come back yet. Where is he? Why isn't he here with me?"

Finn sat on the bed and rubbed his sister's back. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I have no idea why he isn't here with you. Did you guys have a fight," he hedged.

"Not really. I don't think we did." She blushed as she looked at Finn. "We were talking about last night and he said he had to think about some things. What things, Finn? Me? Does he have to think about me? About if he wants to be with me," she sobbed, burying her face in Finn's lap.

Finn looked at his sister and held back tears. "Rachel," he whispered, "Puck loves you. You know that. Do you want me to call Sam or Santana? They might know where he is." He stroked her hair as flashes of the last time they were in this position were pushed to the forefront of his mind.

_Rachel rushed into Finn's room, crumpling on his bed. "Finn," she choked out, "Do you know where Jesse is?" _

_Finn looked at Rachel confused, "No. I thought he was supposed to be with you tonight."_

_Rachel shook her head, "No. We got into another fight. He hasn't returned any of my calls or texts. Can you call him? I just want to know that he's okay. He was driving."_

_Finn sat next to his sister and rubbed her back. "Yeah, Rach. I can do that. Do you want to tell me what the fight was about?"_

_Rachel sniffled, "No, Finn. There are some things you don't need to know."_

Rachel shook her head, "No. He's a big boy. He should be allowed to come and go as he pleases."

Finn looked at Rachel with doubt. "If you're sure, Rach. He needs to know it's not okay to do this to you, though."

"I'm sure, Finn," Rachel squeaked out, "I'm going to try and take a nap. Can you please wake me up when Noah gets home?"

Finn nodded, "Yeah, Rachel. I can do that. You get some rest, okay?" He stood and pressed a kiss to her hair before walking out of the room and closing the door.

In the living room, Finn sat on the couch with his head in his hands replaying the events of last night.

_Finn had just fallen asleep when he heard Puck yell his name down the hall. He groaned and contemplated pretending he hadn't heard, but when Puck started pounding on his door, he knew he had to respond. "Yeah," he mumbled, "What's up."_

_Puck cracked open the door and peered in. In the dimly lit room, Finn could see tears in his eyes. "It's Rachel. She just started freaking out when I closed the bedroom door. I didn't want to wake you, but I don't know what to do." _

_Finn shot out of bed and pushed around Puck. He rushed into Rachel's room and almost saw red. Rachel's face was red and puffy. Her hands were twisted in her hair, creating knots and causing strands to be ripped from her scalp. She was curled up into a ball with her shirt next to her. Puck was shirtless and his jeans were open, sitting low on his hips._

"_Rach," he began gently, trying to pry her hands from her hair. "Can you tell me what's going on?" He glared at Puck when Rachel shook her head. "Okay, wanna tell me why you're curled up on the floor without your shirt on?" _

_Behind him, Puck growled, "Seriously, asshole? Not the time for this." _

_Finn stood and rounded on Puck, "Really?! It's _not the time_ for this? I think it's the perfect time for this. All I know is my baby sister is bawling, and from where I'm standing it looks like the guy she's in love with caused it. What did you say to her, Puck? How long has this been going on? What did you do to convince her she was ready for this?"_

_Puck frowned and clenched his fists. "Finn, now is _not _the time to discuss this," he said darkly. "Right now, we need to focus on Rachel. You can go all big brother on me later." _

Finn was shook from his stupor by the front door slamming open and closed. He turned and glared at his roommate. "Glad to know you're alive. Rachel's been worried sick."

Puck grunted. "Don't know why she would be. Told her I was going for a run."

Finn resisted the urge to punch Puck. "But you also fucking told her you had to _think _about things. She's been crying for hours. She's convinced that you've decided that she's not worth all the hassle and you're going to break up with her." He looked at Puck, "you're not going to dump her over this, right?"

Puck sat and looked at Finn, "No, dude. Of course I'm not breaking up with her. I love Rachel. I knew things wouldn't be easy. I'm in this for the long haul."

Finn nodded, "So what did you have to think about?"

Puck cradled his head in his hands, "You think last night was shitty for you? Try being me. The woman I love more than anyone else was scared when I closed our bedroom door, Finn. I know she's not scared of _me_, but she's scared of what that closed door represents. It's a lot to take in. Then she was going on about how it was her fault I was," he grimaced at Finn, "frustrated." He stopped Finn with a stern glare. "Dude, of course I told her it wasn't her fucking fault. I thought that was the last of it. Then she didn't realize she was thinking out loud and," Puck swallowed hard, "shit, you're gonna punch me again," he muttered.

Finn tensed, "What did she say, Puck?"

Puck coughed, "She uh, she uhm," he winced at the look Finn gave him, "she said that she should've," he stopped and exhaled, "that she should've just let me have sex with her because we'd already done it before." Puck closed his eyes and tensed. When he realized that Finn didn't hit him, Puck opened his eyes. "Man. I'm sorry. That's not how I wanted to tell you." He ran his hands through his hair. "I mean, really I didn't want to ever tell you. 'Cause, you know, _awkward_, but yeah..." he trailed off.

Finn looked at Puck, "You're a good guy, you know that?" He laughed at the confusion on Pucks face. "You could've made up some bullshit story. But you didn't. You thought you knew how I would react, but you told me anyways." He stood and clapped Puck on the back, "And thank you, Puck."

"For what, dude?"

"For caring about my sister and her happiness more than your own needs. Now please, go in there and let her know things are okay?" Finn headed to the door. "I'm gonna head out for a bit. Let you guys _talk _in peace."

**A/N: These guys just love the angst, apparently. This chapter was supposed to be light and fluffy, but apparently that's not happening anytime soon for these two. Oops. **


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Broken**

**A/N: ****...*ahem *...(waves shyly) Hey guys...hows it going? Are things good with you? I sure hope they are...I uh...I'm alive. I really didn't mean for time to get away from me like this, but first it was a day, then a week, then before I knew it MONTHS passed, but I promise, this story will get finished, come hell or high water. I will finish it. I am so heartbroken about Naya, and Heather's IG posts are making me sob. But in all darkness there is light, and somehow this awful, horrible news ****somehow has inspired me more than ever to get this story finished. ****We are jumping a little ahead in the future, just to speed up the plot a little bit...******

**Chapter 2****5- ****The Accident**

_**7 **__**weeks later**_

Things had been tense in the Berry/Puckerman household since _the incident. _Finn was hyper-aware of every time Rachel wasn't smiling, and Puck was teetering between handling her with kid gloves and making her feel like she was going to suffocate. The three were sitting on the couch, flipping mindlessly between TV shows when Rachel sighed. Finn and Puck both looked at her with worry in their eyes. "Guys," Rachel began, "can we please start acting normal again?" She stood and crossed the room, planting herself in front of the TV that was playing a _F.R.I.E.N.D.S. _rerun. "This whole making sure Rachel is _okay_ gig is getting tiresome. So I had a little setback. A momentary freak-out. A slight flashback. It was bound to happen. We knew it would at some point, and I don't know why any of us deluded ourselves that everything would be sunshine and roses all the time." Rachel glanced from Finn to Puck with a sad smile on her face. "I love the two of you, but you're suffocating me. Now Santana is picking me up and we're going to get lunch. I'll have my phone with me. I'll let you know if we decide to do anything else. I'm going to get ready." She strode down the hallway into her bedroom and closed the door. Listening at the door to make sure neither boy had followed her, Rachel pulled out her phone and called Santana.

"_You better not be calling to cancel on me, Rach. Tell the wardens to let you out," Santana chuckled._

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed, "No Santana, I'm not canceling. I have a favor I need from you though," she sat at her vanity and bit her thumb nail nervously.

"_Sure. Anything. What's up?"_

"We need to, um, we uh need to," Rachel stammered before taking a deep breath. "We need to stop by a drug store."

"_Oh shit," Santana mumbled. "Okay, not a problem. I'll be at your place in ten. But Berry, are you _sure_?"_

Rachel nodded and then remembered that Santana couldn't see her. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I'm late. I'm never late. I just don't know how this is even possible. God, Noah is going to kill me." Rachel groaned and roughly ran her brush through her hair one-handed.

"_He's not going to kill you, Rachel. But Finn might kill _him_. Jeez, that boy should know better," Santana chuckled. "Anyways Rach, don't panic, talk to Puck. I'll be there soon and we'll figure it out." _

"You're right 'Tana. I'll see you soon." Rachel hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She walked over to the bedroom door and opened it a crack, "Noah," she called, "Can you come in here please?" She only had to wait a few seconds before she heard Puck walking down the hall and into their room. Before she could say anything however, he started talking.

"Baby," Puck sighed, "I'm so sorry. So is Finn. Neither of us ever meant to coddle you, or make you feel trapped. We both love you so much and just want to make sure you're okay. I'm sorry if I've been stressing you out or making you feel like you're stuck here. That's not what I want. I know we haven't done much but hang out here the last couple months, and I promise I'll fix that. I promise. I love you and I just want you to be happy." He hugged Rachel and kissed the top of her head. "Is there something you needed to ask me?"

Rachel shook her head with tears in her eyes, "Um, no." She walked over to the closet and pulled out a dress at random, "I was just wondering if you could zip me up."

Puck chuckled, "Sure babe, but that dress doesn't have a zipper on it. So what's really going on?"

Rachel sighed, "Look Noah, I just-" she was cut off from Finn yelling that Santana was there. "I just am really glad that you care so much about me. I love you." She kissed his cheek and walked out to greet her friend. Santana looked at her and Rachel subtly shook her head. "Well," she glanced at Finn and Puck, "I'll see you guys later."

**...***...***...***...*****

"I can't believe you didn't tell him Rach." Santana shook her head as she pulled her Range Rover into traffic. "You need to tell him tonight. What're you planning on doing? Taking the test at the restaurant?"

Rachel hung her head and looked at her hands, "Santana, I'm sure there's not going to be anything to tell. Honestly it'd be a complete miracle if I was-" she was cut off by the sound of tires screeching and looked up, "Santana look out," she shouted just before she heard glass shatter around her and felt something slam into her side.

**...***...***...***...*****

"Everything okay with you and Rach, dude?" Finn looked at Puck.

Puck nodded, "Yeah. I think she's just feeling a little trapped right now. Hopefully this day out will be good for her." He grabbed his phone, "I'm gonna text the guys and see if they're down to play some football in the park. You in?"

"Yeah that sounds like a plan, Sam was actually heading here right now."

Puck nodded and walked over to the window texting Mike and Matt. "Hey should we invite Art-" before he could finish he heard a crash and saw a black Range Rover get t-boned. "Shit! Finn! Call 911," he shouted running towards the door.

"Why? What happened," Finn questioned.

He threw the door open and turned to Finn with tears in his eyes, "Santana's car was just hit."

**...***...***...*** **

Sam walked towards Finn and Puck's apartment listening to _All Time Low_ on his phone. He was humming lyrics to himself and smiling. Things had been going great lately. Finn got his head out of his ass, Puck got _his _head out of his ass, he had a new job. Everything was going great. Just as he was getting ready to cross to Puck and Finn's street his phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Puck calling him. "Dude," he said as he answered, "I know you miss my pretty face but chil-" he was cut off by Puck shouting his name.

"_Sam! Are you almost here? Where are you? You need to get here!" Puck yelled frantically._

Sam was alarmed at the frustration in his friends voice. "Yeah dude. Like 3 minutes what's up?"

"_There's been," Puck sobbed, "Oh God. It's bad, Sam."_

Sam picked up his pace at Puck's cries. "What's bad, Puck? Where's Finn? Where's Rachel?"

"_Finn's with me. Rachel was in an accident. There's glass everywhere. And blood. Just get here."_

**...***...***...*****

Finn, Sam, and Puck sat in the waiting room at Mount Sinai anxiously. They could hear Santana refusing medical care and Finn sighed, "I'll deal with her and see if they know anything about Rachel." He stood and walked to the room Santana was in.

Sam looked at Puck and almost cried. His friend sat there hunched over, gripping his hair and his shoulders shaking. "She'll be okay Puck. I promise. She's a fighter." He clapped his friend on the back and stood. "Do you want me to call anyone?"

Puck shook his head and sniffled, "No. Finn called their parents. I texted my mom and dad." He looked up, "Actually, could you text the guys? We were supposed to play football, but obviously that's not happening." Puck stood and started pacing "Fuck, man. Why did this happen. Things have been so good lately. Shit." He heard footsteps and looked up to see Finn standing there with tears in his eyes. Puck felt himself falling and then felt Sam holding him up. "Finn? Is-is she?"

Finn shook his head, "No. She's awake, but you should go see her. There's something she needs to tell you. I wasn't even supposed to know but uh," he roughly wiped tears out of his eyes, "I heard her crying and ran in as the doctor was talking to her."

Puck nodded and ran down the hallway until he found Rachel's room. He saw a doctor come out and gently close the door. "Excuse me, I'm Rachel Berry's boyfriend. Am I allowed to see her?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, however she's been through a very traumatic few hours. I must ask that you don't push her or stress her to much."

Puck waited until the doctor had walked away and then gently knocked on the door before opening it. "Rach, baby? Can I come in?" he waited until he heard a mumbled _yes_ before he entered. Puck fully opened the door and stumbled back at what he saw. Rachel was sitting in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of her arms, a bandage on her forehead, stitches on her collarbone and bruises on her legs. "Oh baby, are you okay," he whispered before sitting in the chair next to her bed and grabbing her hand, kissing the back of it.

Rachel shrugged, "I will be, according to the doctor and nurse. No lasting damage." Rachel bit her lip. "Noah, I have to tell you something," she sobbed, looking from him to a monitor near her bed.

Puck nodded, "Anything baby. Anything at all. I love you, no matter what."

Rachel shook her head and looked away from him, "Part of why Santana and I didn't just walk was because I needed to go to a drug store." She glanced at Puck and saw the look of confusion on his face. "I'm not sick, but I- I missed my period last month. At first I thought it was nothing, just stress, but then I calculated dates in my head. I honestly didn't even think it was possible, really. That's why I never told you. I figured it was just a weird coincidence, but I guess not," she plucked a stray thread from her blanket.

Puck felt his stomach drop, "Rach," he croaked out, "you gotta stop talking in riddles baby. I'm sorry. I'm not following you."

Rachel nodded, "I uh, I had Santana bring me to get a pregnancy test. I obviously didn't get it, but she told the EMT when they took me. The doctor ran tests. I'm pregnant," she sobbed.

Puck swallowed, "Okay. Is this supposed to be a bad thing? I mean, we talked about this and we both agreed that we'd make it work if anything happened." He was confused, did she not want the baby?

Rachel took a deep breath, "Noah, the accident was really bad. I suffered a lot of trauma. The pregnancy-" she started and shook her head, "the baby won't-" she groaned and sniffled, "God, this is so hard to say. I'm in the process of having a miscarriage. In a few hours, there won't be a baby. Or a pregnancy."

Puck nodded stiffly and stood. "Right. Okay. I'll just, I just need to take a walk. I'll send Finn in and Santana if they'll let her." He looked at the bed and saw the crushed expression on his girlfriend's face. "I'll be back. I just need a couple minutes." With that, he left the room closing the door and walking somberly down the hallway. When he was far enough away that Rachel couldn't hear, he sank to the floor and cried. He sat there for what felt like hours until he felt two people sit on either side of him. He looked up and saw Finn and Santana. He cleared his throat, "Hey guys. Where's Evans?"

Santana rolled her eyes at Puck's show of acting tough, "He went in to see Rachel. We all figured she could use a laugh and he's the best one for it. How are you Puck? You okay?"

Puck shook his head, "I don't know. I mean, on one hand I'm pissed she didn't tell me, but I'm also sort of glad I didn't know because this would be harder than it already is." He looked at Finn, "This is what you heard?"

Finn nodded, "Yeah. She was gutted, Puck. She always wanted kids, but after the attack it didn't seem possible. Something about scarring, I think? I don't know. That's her story to tell. I saw her face. I watched it go from elated to crushed in less than half a second. I can't imagine what she's feeling. What you're feeling."

Puck groaned, "Right now I'm feeling numb, that's what I'm feeling. But I know she needs me, and I have to be strong for her."

**A/N: Please don't hate me. Like I said, this story has been planned out for ten years. This was always part of the plan. Just go with me. **


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